# Dead animal in wall or attic



## raylo32 (Nov 25, 2006)

First I would check in semi-accessible areas like behind kitchen appliances. Once upon a time I had a mouse fry himself on the stove's 240 electrical connections. If it is in the wall I am not sure there is much you can do but wait it out... unless you have a very good idea where it is you'd probably do a lot of damage to drywall and such before you find it.


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## Wildbill7145 (Sep 26, 2014)

The little inspection type scope cameras are widely available at hardware stores these days for reasonable prices. Just a thought and it would make it easier to see behind drywall without having to make huge holes.


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## PoleCat (Sep 2, 2009)

You could have a live critter in the attic too. Opossum urine can cast an ammonia bouquet. A dead one smells bad enough to run you out of the house.


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## Angelique (Oct 9, 2013)

Now that I'm reading the responses, I'm wondering if the odor is from urine, because of the ammonia smell. We don't have opossums around here, but there could be mice or rats. The day before we smelled it our dog was running around barking and we couldn't figure out why; we thought maybe he was excited about a moth. But maybe it was live critters. Interestingly, he's not doing it now. 

I called a service that sets bait and traps on the roof for animals that are in your attic, then after they feel they've caught the ones that are alive, they seal up all the points where animals could be getting in. 

Our doors and windows are open now, and I don't smell it. I'm wondering what it will be like when we have to leave the house and we close the doors.


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## r0ckstarr (Jan 8, 2013)

Do you have an excess of flies anywhere?


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## Angelique (Oct 9, 2013)

r0ckstarr said:


> Do you have an excess of flies anywhere?


No, and thank goodness!


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## NickTheGreat (Jul 25, 2014)

Yeah you'd probably know a dead animal smell. 

I'm in the urine camp as well. (Strange sentence to type)


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## PoleCat (Sep 2, 2009)

I sure hope it isn't bats. They do a number on your attic.


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## Gustavas (Oct 4, 2014)

first step is to find the problem. if it is too hard to fnd and is in a dry area, it will dry out and stop smelling sooner or later, leaning on the later.


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## sgip2000 (Sep 24, 2012)

PoleCat said:


> I sure hope it isn't bats. They do a number on your attic.


So do raccoons!


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## Gustavas (Oct 4, 2014)

I don't think i want anything living in my attic.


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## garlicbreath (Jun 25, 2012)

I thought i had animals in my attic. I then realized I had a rafter of turkeys on my roof.


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