There are few things more unpleasant than the smell of a decomposing animal inside your home. It starts as a faint, sweet-and-sour odor and quickly intensifies into an unbearable stench that permeates furniture, clothes, and every room in the house. If you are experiencing this, you likely have a dead animal trapped in your walls, attic, or crawlspace.

Why Do Animals Die Inside Homes?

It is a common myth that animals go away to die. In reality, sick or injured animals seek safety and shelter.

Rodent Poison: This is the most common cause. Homeowners put out poison bait blocks. Mice or rats eat them, feel sick, and retreat into the safety of walls or insulation to die.
Entrapment: An animal may fall down a wall void or chimney flue and be unable to climb back out.
Natural Causes: Old age or disease can claim raccoons or opossums living in crawlspaces.

The Dangers of Ignoring It

Trying to “wait out” the smell is a bad idea. Depending on the size of the animal and the humidity, the odor can last for weeks or even months. Furthermore, a decaying carcass brings other risks:

Flies and Maggots: Decomposition attracts blowflies, which lay eggs on the carcass. Within days, you may have a sudden infestation of maggots or large flies in your home.
Biohazards: As the body breaks down, fluids can leak through ceilings or drywall, carrying bacteria and pathogens.
Scavengers: The smell can attract other predators or pests looking for a meal, creating a secondary infestation.

Professional Dead Animal Removal

Locating a dead animal is an art form that relies on air flow analysis, building knowledge, and yes, the nose. Here is how HWCS handles these difficult situations:

1. Pinpointing the Location

We inspect the attic and crawlspace first. If the animal is inside a wall, we use smell and sometimes borescopes (snake cameras) to identify the exact spot between studs to minimize drywall cutting.

2. Extraction

We remove the carcass. If it is in a wall, we carefully cut a small section of drywall, remove the animal, and bag it for proper disposal.

3. Decontamination

Removing the body doesn’t immediately remove the smell. The area where the animal lay is likely saturated with fluids. We remove soiled insulation and treat the area with powerful enzymatic cleaners and disinfectants that break down the organic matter causing the odor.

4. Prevention

Finally, we figure out how the animal got there in the first place. Was it an open vent? A gap in the foundation? We offer exclusion services to seal the entry points so you never have to deal with this situation again.

If you smell something foul, don’t wait. The faster the animal is removed, the less damage and contamination your home will suffer.

What is That Smell? A Guide to Dead Animal Location and Removal