Nobody likes the thought of wild animals in their home. The idea that there are critters lurking somewhere in the house gives people chills. They leave frustrating messes behind and are difficult to track down. But sometimes they can pose even more irritating problems when they die in your house.
The most common areas of your home to find a decomposing animal body are ductwork, behind drywall, attics, garages, and crawl space. Typical animals are opossums, raccoons, skunks, mice, rats, and squirrels.
The most obvious signs a dead animal is decomposing somewhere inside your home are:
- Wet Spots – As disgusting as it sounds, the decomposing body will begin to liquify. Over time, this wetness will begin to seep into the walls or ceiling, depending on where the body is located. This can obviously cause damage to the structure of the home.
- Flies – You’ve probably seen how flies flock to rotting things out in nature, whether it’s an old orange on the ground or roadkill. They get easy nutrients from stuff that is decomposing, and actually like to lay their eggs in rotting animals as well, since it provides plenty of food for maggots when they hatch. If you notice a sharp uptick in flies inside, there might be a dead animal somewhere.
- Smell – This is an undeniable, unavoidable consequence of a dead animal in your house. The odor will be so pungent and putrid that it’ll be impossible not to detect after a certain amount of time. As the body first begins to decompose, the smell may be localized and not as strong, but after a couple of days, it will become overpowering.
Dead Animal Odors
It does not take long (especially in warm weather) for an animal carcass to start the decomposition process. Bacteria consuming soft tissues excrete foul-smelling, sulfuric gasses that cause the dead animal to swell to sometimes three times its size. Bloating further forces fluids out of the animal’s orifices, which only increases the intensity of the smell and fluid seepage.
The quickest and easiest way to get rid of the dead animal smell is to dispose of the dead animal carcass. When you find dead animals outside, the smell dissipates as soon as the carcass is removed. However, getting rid of a strong odor of a dead animal that is decomposing inside your home is not so easy.
DIY Odor Removal Solutions
- Enzyme Cleaners--solutions containing enzymes can break down and dissolve molecules responsible for harboring dead animal smells and producing stains. Enzymes are non-toxic proteins that expedite chemical reactions necessary to break down odorous substances released by an animal’s decomposing body.
- Baking Soda--mix baking soda with water to make a paste that can be applied to areas where dead animals are decomposing. Allow the paste to dry before removing the residue.
- Bleach–using full-strength bleach to get rid of a dead animal smell will only work on certain solid surfaces that bleach won’t damage. Bleach does kill many kinds of microorganisms but it may only cover up an odor temporarily
The downside of Using Home Remedies to Eliminate Dead Animals Smells
If a dead animal decomposes inside walls, on insulation, drywall, fabric, or porous wood, you will probably need to remove and replace the items to completely remove the smell.
Without proper personal protective equipment, an animal carcass poses health risks to homeowners attempting a DIY solution. Dead animals may leave behind infectious bacteria capable of spreading diseases to you and your family. Enzymatic cleaners, baking soda, and even bleach may not completely eradicate disease-causing bacteria.
Professional Dead Animal Removal Services
Typically an animal dies in your home because it became trapped in a hard-to-reach and hidden area. Our expert technicians have the experience and knowledge to find the carcass and then safely remove it from your home.
Our Wildlife Technicians use a pet-safe odor eliminator made of natural organisms and enzymes that consume decaying organic odor-causing matter, eliminating the source of the lingering odor. We use aerosols, oxidizing agents, foggers, and disinfectants with germicides to deodorize until nature completes this task for you.
You should consider a full home exclusion after the smell has been neutralized. Nuisance wildlife found its way into your house once. That entrance leaves your home vulnerable to future animal infestations. Full home exclusions are the most effective form of wildlife control.
