Noise and vibration are very effective activators of stress pathways in rodent models that can increase variability in animal models, thereby confounding virtually every area of biomedical and behavioral research. Noise and vibration in animal facilities is generally not well controlled, managed, or even monitored. With the introduction of more mechanical and technological sources of such noise and vibration in the vivarium space (e.g., IVC caging cage changing stations, computers) the potential impacts of these confounds are greater today than ever. In addition, much of the noise produced by such modern technology is in the ultrasonic range, which we human observers cannot hear, and the noise meters we typically use cannot measure. This talk will focus on the sources of such noise and vibration (IVC caging, animal transport, fluorescent lighting, computers, cage changing stations, lab equipment), why and how they should be measured and monitored, and what strategies administrators and staff can use to minimize or control them as confounds in biomedical research. This talk will also discuss practical steps for minimizing these confounds. Special emphasis will be placed on how these confounds introduce variability in our animal models, serving to hamper our goals of animal model reduction and refinement.