If it's in the morning or evenings, squirrels and birds are the most likely culprits. Bats, raccoons, mice and rats are nocturnal, so you'll most likely hear these animals at night. If you can, go into your attic to see if you can find evidence of animal activity.
Tapping in the ear sometimes suggested by the brain
Sometimes the brain fools us. For example, it is able to produce sounds that we perceive in the ear - even if there is no actual sound source. So our brain can also fake a knocking in the ear.
Tapping, rustling, or clicking within the walls of your home can be the first indicators of some gruesome pests taking hold of your property. Things like termites or carpenter ants are often to blame for tapping noises. These pests make these noises whilst they hollow into the wood and make nests.
Knocking sounds in your home can be unsettling. If you heart knocking sounds during the day, you have a diurnal wildlife problem, likely from a squirrel. Knocking sounds during the night are probably coming from a large animal like a raccoon or opossum.
Katydid(Microcentrum Californicum)
If you're hearing a tapping sound in the wall at night, there's a good chance you have some new houseguests. Call the experts and inquire about removal services. Once animals enter, they make it their home too, and this unwanted invitation can turn into a growing problem.
A repetitive ticking or clicking sound coming from walls and ceilings can result from the expansion and contraction of metal HVAC ductwork that conducts ventilation through these voids. When metal heats up, it expands; when the furnace stops pushing warm air through the system, the metal cools and contracts.
Calls & Sounds. The most commonly heard call of the Large-tailed Nightjar is a monotonous series of hollow “chonk, chonk, chonk…” notes which sound a bit like a distant chopping or knocking on wood. These sounds are most frequently given just after dusk or just before dawn.
Clicking: mothers make these to their young ones as a form of communication. These are made when possums are threatened. Possums also use clicking sounds to attract attention from mates.
If you hear any clicking, buzzing or tapping sounds in the wall, you may be facing a potential termite invasion. Termites are hard to spot and often go unnoticed, causing significant amounts of damage in homes each year.
If you hear any scratching noise at night, or a tapping noise in your walls and roof, well they're probably rats chewing on your electrical wiring and plumbing, which can cause a house fire if left untreated.
Tapping Noises – Tapping sounds coming from your roof or ceiling may be caused by your home's HVAC system. Ductwork contracts and expands throughout the day, and can often create a repetitive tapping sound.
Loud Noises
What Do Rats Sound Like at Night? The most common noise a rat makes is a high-pitched squeak. This sound is often described as a “squeaky wheel” or “squeaky toy” sound.
For people with a rare condition known as misophonia, certain sounds like slurping, chewing, tapping and clicking can elicit intense feelings of rage or panic.
The knocking or banging noise you hear coming from your walls usually occurs when air pressure builds in your water pipes. This pressure builds up and causes your pipes to vibrate once the pressure is released (when your faucets are turned on or your toilet is flushed).
Porcupines can sound like babies in the dark, video shows | Centre Daily Times.
Snake Sounds
Depending on the species and time of year, snakes can be both nocturnal and diurnal. The most recognizable snake noise is a hiss followed by the rattle of a rattlesnake.
To right itself the click beetle bends its head and thorax forward, hooking a spine into a notch on the abdomen. When the spine is released, it makes a click, and the beetle is hurled into the air.
Click beetles are found throughout Australia.
Male limpkins are well known for producing a repetitive, high-pitched wail or scream that sounds remarkably human-like when it wakes you up in the dead of night.
Katydids, crickets, and cicadas are the three types of bugs primarily responsible for those classic summery insect noises you hear at night.
A creaking, crackling, or popping sound from your TV is normal and is not a malfunction. These sounds occur when parts expand or contract slightly due to temperature changes in the room or the TV. For example, you may hear the sound when your TV is turned on or off.
The knocking noise is caused by the expansion and contraction of water within the metal or plastic pipes in your house. When water runs through a pipe it heats up or cools down, causing it to expand or contract.
Hearing noises in ceiling? Rats, mice, squirrels, raccoons, skunks, bats, opossums, and birds are among the most common culprits in this kind of situation. Scratching noises coming from your walls or ceiling is a solid indicator that an animal has made its way into your house.