It usually starts as a faint, sickly-sweet odor. You might think it’s just garbage or a dirty gym bag. But within 24 hours, it transforms into an unbearable, pungent stench that permeates your entire home.

Something has died in your walls, attic, or crawl space.

In Louisville’s humid climate, decomposition happens fast. Ignoring the problem won’t make it go away; the smell can linger for weeks or even months depending on the size of the animal. Here is how to handle a dead animal situation in your home.

Step 1: Identify the Culprit

While you can’t see it, the location and intensity of the smell can tell us a lot about what it is.

• Mice: A faint, localized smell often near baseboards or kitchen cabinets. It smells like rotten cabbage or decay but isn’t overpowering in a large room.
• Rats/Squirrels: A strong, distinct odor that can fill a room. Often found in wall voids or ceilings.
• Raccoons/Opossums: An overwhelming, eye-watering stench that fills the whole house. Fluids may seep through the ceiling (looking like a wet spot). These larger animals usually die in attics or crawl spaces.

Step 2: Pinpoint the Location

This is the hardest part. The smell drifts with airflow, so where you smell it strongest might not be where the body is.

1. The Sniff Test: Put your nose directly against the wall or floor. Move foot by foot until you find the “hot spot.”
2. Check Airflow: Turn off your HVAC system. Air currents can carry the smell far from the source.
3. Look for Flies: Sudden clusters of large blowflies or “flesh flies” in a window or buzzing around a specific wall outlet are a dead giveaway. They are trying to get to (or from) the carcass.
4. Look for Stains: In advanced decomposition, bodily fluids can leak through drywall, creating a brown or yellow stain on the ceiling or wall.

Step 3: Removal (The Hard Part)

If the animal is in an accessible attic or crawl space, removal is straightforward (though unpleasant). We bag the carcass, remove contaminated insulation, and disinfect the area.

If it is inside a wall: This requires surgical precision. We do not want to cut random holes in your drywall.

1. We use thermal imaging cameras to detect the heat signature of the decomposing body (decomposition generates heat).
2. We may drill a tiny hole and use a borescope camera to visually confirm the location.
3. We cut a small, repairable section of drywall, remove the animal, and disinfect the void.

Step 4: Deodorization

Removing the body is only half the battle. The fluids and bacteria left behind continue to smell.

• Disinfection: We spray the area with a commercial-grade antimicrobial to kill bacteria and viruses.
• Enzymatic Cleaners: We use bio-enzymatic sprays that eat the organic matter causing the smell.
• Odor Neutralizers: We may use an ozone generator or hydroxyl generator to scrub the air molecules in your home, neutralizing the scent rather than just masking it with perfume.

Why Did It Die There?

Animals rarely just “go inside to die.” Usually, they were living there and became trapped, sick, or ate rodent poison.

Warning on Poison: This is why we strongly advise against using rat poison indoors. Poisoned animals often retreat to their safe nesting spot (inside your wall) to die, leaving you with this exact problem.

If you have a mystery smell in your Louisville home, don’t tear your walls apart yourself. Call Critter Removal of Louisville. We have the tools and noses to find it fast.