dead mouse in the wall??!!


  #1  
Old 04-19-04, 02:04 PM
hak
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dead mouse in the wall??!!

We think a mouse died in our wall - the smell seems to be a sure sign, along with several mouse-like noises we've heard here and there... any suggestions for what to do now? how can we get rid of it without destroying the drywall? and, how can we prevent this from happening in the future? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks...
 
  #2  
Old 04-19-04, 08:24 PM
T
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Dead mouse in wall

Locating a dead mouse in the wall would be a hit and miss activity. Depending upon size of dead animal it could take weeks for the animal to completely decompose and odor to dissipate.

To prevent animals from getting trapped in walls, inspect exterior of home and make sure all entries are properly sealed. Exclusion is the best control. Make sure where pipes and wires enter the home are sealed. Avoid the use of poisons for animal pest control. After poison consumption, animals may die inside walls where you can not locate them.
 
  #3  
Old 04-21-04, 07:02 AM
hak
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Thanks for the advice... just wondering if you have any ideas for getting rid of the smell? It's been about a month now, and only seems to be getting worse (I'm guessing this is due to the hotter weather)... thanks again...
 
  #4  
Old 04-21-04, 02:16 PM
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Dead animal odor

Air fresheners and deodorizers will simply mask the odor for a short period of time, or worse, combine with the dead animal odor to create an even worse odor. If you spray anything, it should be an enzyme deodorizer for organic odors. Enzyme cleaners are marketed under different names such as Out, Nature's Miracle, and OdoBan, or others. These can be diluted and used as a spray deodorizer. Or, you can purchase an enzyme deodorizer such as Odorcide. The enzymes surround the odor and remove it from the air. You can also drill holes in wall between studs along floor and spray into wall cavities. There are aerosol machines available that release every 15-20 seconds a blast of enzyme deodorizer like Odorcide or Odor Eraser. These are sometimes seen in public restrooms. There are also fogging machines available in which you place the enzyme deodorizer and fog affected area. Repeat applications will probably be necessary until animal has completely decomposed. It could take several weeks for a smaller animal and up to several months for larger animals.
 
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Old 04-22-04, 08:27 PM
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if the smell has been as strong for that long, it is something bigger than a mouse most likely. A mouse has such a small body mass that it would have to die right in your living room floor to smell as bad for as long, or many mice. I disagree with not using chemical control, you will drive yourself crazy trying to figure out where these mice are coming in, they can fit in a dime sized hole!!! seal up noticeable things, just dont go insane. They can climb straight up most surfaces, they can jump high, and they can chew through ANYTHING. If the noises are coming from towards the attic, put some over the counter brodifacoum .005% over the counter bait of some sort in the attic. You will know if mice are in the attice by swiss cheese holes in the insulation, or mice droppings. If crawl space under house, for sure bait it. The bait is a blood thinner, not a poison, but still be careful not to leave any for kids or pets. hide it very well, maybe even buy locked bait boxes. your problem might not even be mice, could be squirrels,bats, or rats. squirrels will come off of trees through a chewed hole up high on your house. they will be heard all day and night, mice nighttime mostly, bats periodically, and rats at night mostly.
 
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Old 04-22-04, 08:30 PM
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And about them dying in your house after the poison............if they do 95% of the time you will not smell,see or hear anything because they stay well hidden, but you probably wont believe me because you have already had the pugent smell. Well mice reproduce oevery 20 days or so will large litters. Trapping will not trap them fast enough and if you trap them in the house by sealing, where will they go next???? your living quarters!!!! hope this helps
let me know
 
  #7  
Old 04-27-04, 02:59 AM
T
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Dead animal odor

Dead animals, which have died from poison or baits or have simply gotten trapped in walls, will cause an odor. Odor associated decomposition is a given. As indicated, the size of the animal will determine the length of time for the process of decomposition and related odors. There are many rodenticide myths circulating: This bait makes rats dry up into dust so they won't stink. Our bait makes rats so thirsty, they run outside to drink water and die outside. Rat bait "mummifies" rats so they don't stink. The use of baits and poisons does place the homeowner at risk of having to deal with dead animal odor. There are currently no documented statistics on the percent of animals which have consumed bait or poisons that get trapped inside walls. The problem of animal odor is not uncommon on internet forums, and it tends to be associated with the use of baits and poisons inside homes. Mice tend to die in their nesting site, their food source, or in between.

If baits and poisons are used indoors, to lessen the chances of odor, incorporate snap traps into your baiting program. You will then be able to remove dead rodents before there is an odor. To remove dead animal odor, an enzyme digester odorcide or odor bomb can be used.
 
 

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