A few days ago I noticed a scratching noise coming from inside a wall
in the basement. I haven't noticed any mice droppings or evidence of
mice since I've lived in this house (a little over a year), and the
scratching noise just started a few days ago. The wall separates the
main part of the basement from a storage closet where the oil tank is,
and the side of the wall in the closet is just covered with insulation
and not drywalled over. There is a gap between the ceiling and where
the insulation starts, which is probably how the little guys probably
fell in between the studs. I got my camera and stuck it through the gap
and tried to take pictures of what was making the noise in there, and
from the pictures I see what I think is some sort of pile of bodies
(the zoom really isn't too good on my camera) in one corner of the
space, and one living scratching guy.

I'm wondering how long they've been falling in and dying in there, and
how did they all end up in one pile? There is no food down there, what
is attracting them? Is it worth cutting a hole at the bottom of the
insulation there so they can find their way out?

Thanks,
gladiola