Critters in the attic? Do your own Home Inspection.
If you've been hearing footsteps in you attic or have noticed little presents left for you in your crawlspace, you may want to consider dealing with it because it is more that a nuisance.
Vermin such as rats, squirrels or bats can cause you several problems other than interrupting your sleep.
Fire Hazard:
These pests must be able to sense the current going through electrical wiring as they will chew on the wire insulation. This can cause an electrical fire and if that is not bad enough, your insurance company may deny the claim once their fire inspector determines that the cause of the fire was from vermin, hence, lack of maintenance or preventative action. Then the cost of the repair or replacement is on YOU!
Health Issues:
These nasty little rodents can cause all kinds of health problems as they leave their droppings everywhere and after they dry out can be come aerolized and enter the living quarters either on you when you go in the attic or crawlspace or thru the HVAC system if not maintained properly. Additionally, they can enter the living quarters and they have this terrible habit of urinating all the time which can get on your carpeting, in your food storage cabinets or on your eating utensils.
They will often nest in walls or ceilings and create large amounts of droppings in those locations. There is an opportunity during renovation or repairs after a flood for those droppings to enter the living quarters. This can expose you to the Hanta Virus which can be deadly to humans. I have seen articles where rodent droppings are beginning to be associated with SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome).
Foreclosed homes are a great place for vermin to nest as they sit vacant for long periods of time and nobody bothers them. If you are looking to buy or have recently purchased a forelosed home, you should have it tested for the presence of rodents as well as coackroaches to spare yourself these exposures.
What to do?
When you hear the pitter-patter of little feet, deal with it right away. You can put out traps of your own or you can hire one of the critter removal services but you will also need to find out where they are getting in.
Ensure that you don't have dirt dishes sitting in the sink overnight or that leftover food is not left on tables or counters. Take away what they are looking for!