One side of our porch roof has an overhang with an opening at the bottom that is about an inch high and about 18-24 inches long. Sparrows have built a nest inside the opening.

We also have been hearing scratching in our attic, near the spot where the porch roof joins the side of the house. We suspect that the sparrows have found a passageway that leads to our attic. The attic is insulated with a foot of fiberglass insulation, so it is not possible to see anything from the trap door when we hear the scratching. We put mothballs in the area where the noise was coming from, and didn't hear anything for several days. However, in the last few days we have heard scratching in the attic again, and have seen sparrows being quite active around the opening where the nest is.

I removed some of the nesting material from the opening, but didn't have a good tool for pulling out anything that wasn't right in behind the hole. I put some mothballs near the opening (we have no pets or children,) but today we observed sparrows rebuilding the nest.

It would be relatively easy to seal the opening, but I don't want to trap any birds inside. I have been advised that sparrows are usually not in their nests during the day, so that daytime would probably be a good time to seal the opening.

What advice can you give us regarding this situation? Is it likely that sparrows would get into our attic via the porch roof? If the noise is something else, can you speculate about what it might be? I suspect squirrels would make more noise than we've heard and would leave more visible signs of their presence in the attic. I think mice would choose another spot, because there is no nearby food source, and access would be difficult, even if there is a way to the attic other than the porch roof.

At this point, my next plan of attack is to straighten a coat hanger and make a hook on the end, and try to pull out more of the nesting material. With any luck, that will prevent them from laying eggs until I receive advice about whether to seal up the opening.

Thank you very much. I work at Chicago Public Library, and have referred many patrons to the Extension Service over the years. This is the first time I have contacted you on my own behalf.

House sparrows can make quite a racket while they are nest building. Sometimes it sounds like they have entered the building even when they haven't. However, you wouldn't want to take the chance of accidentally trapping a bird inside when you seal up the hole.

My guess, without seeing the site for myself, would be that it just sounds like the birds have gotten into the attic (a hot attic filled with fiberglass insulation would not be a bird's normal nesting choice), or, you could be dealing with two different species. Mice will use attics. They can get into buildings through extremely small cracks and openings. And they are resourceful about finding food.

But let's tackle one issue at a time. First, because House sparrows (and their nests and eggs) are not protected by federal or Illinois laws (because they are not a native species), it is legal to remove the nesting material. You should completely remove the nesting material that is there. She won't be sitting on the nest unless she's already laid eggs. Even if she is there...she'll quickly leave when she sees you approaching. Remove any eggs along with the nesting material. As a precaution, wear a dust mask and latex gloves just to be safe. Throw the nesting material in the trash (if you discard it outside...they will quickly use the material to start building again). Then temporarily cover the hole with a wire mesh (hardware cloth) patch.

If you do not hear noises in the attic for a day or two, you can assume that there are no birds present, and you can permanently patch the hole. If you do hear noises, you will need to remove the wire cloth patch and attempt to go up into the attic to create a "disturbance" in an attempt to get whatever is up there to exit. If you can't get into the attic, then try bang on the ceiling with a broomstick, etc. This will take some effort and time on your part, but it is the only way to be relatively sure that no birds/animals are still up there. Then repeat the temporary patching process. Try this first and then contact me again if this solution doesn't work. Good luck!