I'm not really sure if this is the right place to post this question. I had a hard time even finding a forum to post on. We live in Southeastern Nebraska in a suburban setting, two level home built in '05. New roof put on last year. Siding was damaged at the same time as the roof but has not been fixed yet.

For the past two days we have been hearing scratching/tapping/gnawing/thumping sounds throughout one section of our bathroom/bedroom wall. At times it is very rhythmic, like a chewing. Whatever this thing is, it’s relatively loud. I read online that although you can hear bats sometimes it’s a very light discreet scratching and maybe squeaking. This is definitely scratching but some thumping and tapping, and though it’s not really loud, the room has to be somewhat quiet to hear it, it’s definitely not discreet. I realize that being in the wall can amplify the sounds, and from the research I've done I'm almost certain it's no bigger than a squirrel at the very largest. But it's definitely either leaving and coming back, or nocturnal. It is active the same 5 foot or so radius from about 6:00pm to about 4:00am.

Asking on social media tonight for referrals to get a second opinion, I had several people warn me against using the company I had out today, that they didn’t know what they were doing and we should go with someone else. They were only here for about a half hour. They entered the attic above the garage (we store things there) but only got their body about halfway up into the attic space under the roof above the second floor. They saw a total of 10 or so bat droppings in the attic above the house, and the same in the attic above the garage. They saw mouse droppings in the access area under the tub, near where the noises are coming from. He seemed think we definitely had a bat problem based on the droppings and probably didn't have a mouse problem. Said set a few traps under the tub and then quoted me $2500 to seal all but two entries for the bats until spring, put the one way exits on those two entrances, and come back in the spring and seal those. He assured me he did not think we had a large colony or infestation.
[video:youtube]https://youtu.be/uWJdDQ1DyFs[/video]
We have called in two more companies to do inspections tomorrow. One I talked to scared me to death with talk of the bat getting in the house and biting us when we are sleeping, and us not knowing. I have heard they can bite and you don't know it, but I guess I figured you would eventually wake up because a bat was flying around. I am now terrified to be in our house at all, worried we will just all of a sudden come down with rabies from a bite from a bat we never saw or suspected.

I'm looking for a little perspective before meeting with the other two companies tomorrow. Again, we have not seen a bat in the living space in our house. Just heard the noises, and the reports of the really small sporadic amount of guano in both attics.

I'm posting video of the noses from youtube. Hope it works.
[video:youtube]https://youtu.be/uPzBvW39BEU[/video]

[video:youtube]https://youtu.be/uWJdDQ1DyFs[/video]

Thanks to whoever takes the time to read and answer!!