Pest Control Carlsbad Ca
If who’ve experienced the smell of a dead rat in a confined area you’ll never forget it. If you have ever experienced the smell of rat urine. on a hot summer day you will never forget it. That gives you the reason to fear a rat infestation. That odor can completely disrupt your family’s existence for days, weeks or longer. What are the signs you’re dealing with a dead rat smell and what can you do about it?
What does a dead rat smell like? Anyone who’s has experienced the smell of a dead rat in their home can agree, the smell is one you’ll never forget. The putrid smell is a nasty mix of chemicals produced as the body decomposes, including sulfur dioxide and methane. The best way to describe it would be the rotting smell of death.
The bigger the rat, the more tissue to break down, the more time needed to decompose. Rats are larger than mice, so the smell of a dead rat is likely to be much stronger and last longer than that of a mouse. Still, unless you can actually see the animal, you might not be able to know whether you have a dead rat or a dead mouse in the house.
No matter whether it's a rat or mouse, squirrel or opossum, there’s no way to calculate how long the smell of a dead animal will last. It may take days or weeks for the carcass to dry out and the odor to naturally and completely disappear. Humidity and heat can affect the process and make the nauseating odor even more intense. So, if a rat dies near steam pipes or other moist areas in your home or car, it may be "ripe" for a long time.
So, what can you do about the terrible odor?
How to get rid of a dead rat smell
Locate the source. When you notice what you think is the dead rat smell, start looking for an increased presence of flies, maggots, beetles and other insects that are attracted to dead animals. If flies seem to be hovering or landing near a specific area on a wall, ceiling or floor, try a “sniff test.” Does the smell seem stronger at that spot? Bodily fluids will seep out of a carcass, so also keep an eye out for stains on sheetrock or ceiling tiles.
Remove the problem. Remove the dead animal and any of the stained material you see, like insulation. Spray that area with a disinfectant and deodorizer and ventilate area is the quickest route to relief. Unfortunately, rats don’t usually die in plain sight or within easy reach. They are night time rodents that prefer small tight little spaces that offer plenty of hiding places.
Desperate times call for desperate measures, and the process of removing one dead rat from your home may include cutting through sheetrock or floors, replacing ceiling tiles, pulling up carpets, etc.
Sometimes the best solution is to leave the dead rat where it is, apply odor-neutralizing chemicals or deodorants and hope the process of drying out happens as quickly as possible. Using this method still requires ventilating the area by drilling into walls or floors, so repair costs would still be involved.
If you can find and remove the dead rat carcass, seal it in a plastic bag and dispose of it in the outside trash can. Always wear protective gloves and clothing, including a dust filter mask or respirator, whenever handling wild animals, dead or alive. Rats will introduce dangerous bacteria, viruses, fleas and mites into our homes, so even if you're gloved and covered, thoroughly wash up afterward.
After cleaning the affected area it's time to begin a different search. Finding out how the rats are getting into you home?
If you’re having a rat problem, Call WHEELER’S PEST CONTROL . We are rat clean-up and rat control specialist. 877-595-2847
