It is a common summer scenario in Louisville: you step out onto your back deck to enjoy a morning coffee, and you are hit with a wall of stench. It smells like rotting meat, garbage, and death.

An animal—likely an opossum, groundhog, stray cat, or raccoon—has crawled under your deck and died.

Decks are popular shelter spots for sick or injured wildlife. They feel safe and dark. Unfortunately, when they pass away, the homeowner is left with a biohazard that is often incredibly difficult to reach. Most decks are built low to the ground, with only a few inches of clearance, making it impossible to crawl underneath.

Here is a guide to retrieving the source of the smell without dismantling your entire outdoor living space.

Step 1: Locate the Body

You have to find it before you can move it. The smell will be your general guide, but it can be deceptive as wind shifts.

• The Fly Test: Look for “blow flies” (large, metallic green or blue flies). They are experts at finding decomposition. If you see a cluster of flies buzzing around a specific gap in the deck boards or entering a specific spot in the lattice, that is your target area.
• The Mirror Trick: If you can’t get your head low enough to see under the deck, use a hand mirror and a strong flashlight. Hold the mirror at the edge of the deck and shine the light into the mirror to reflect the beam underneath.
• Phone Camera: Stick your phone (with flash on) through a gap or under the edge and take a video while sweeping it back and forth. Review the footage to spot the animal.

Step 2: Retrieval Strategies

Once you know where it is, you have to get it out.

Method A: The Snare Pole (Side Access) If the animal is within 5-8 feet of the edge, you might be able to fish it out.

• Tools: A garden hoe, a stiff rake, or a telescoping painter’s pole with a hook taped to the end.
• Technique: Slide the tool under the deck, hook the carcass, and drag it slowly toward you. Be prepared: if the animal has been dead for a while, it may be bloated or fragile. Pull gently to avoid making a mess.

Method B: Top-Down Access (The Surgical Approach) If the animal is deep in the center of the deck, you cannot reach it from the side. You will need to come from above.

1. Pinpoint: Use the fly/smell method to identify the exact boards above the body.
2. Unscrew: Carefully unscrew 2-3 deck boards. If they are nailed, use a pry bar (carefully) or a “cat’s paw” nail puller to minimize damage to the wood.
3. Lift: Remove the boards to expose the ground below.
4. Remove: Use a shovel to scoop up the animal. Important: You must also shovel up the top 2-3 inches of soil directly under the body. Body fluids leak into the dirt and will continue to smell even after the animal is gone.

Step 3: Deodorization

The smell will linger even after the body is gone.

• Lime: Agricultural lime (white powder) can be sprinkled over the soil to help neutralize odors and speed up the breakdown of any remaining organic matter.
• Enzymatic Cleaners: Spray the area (and the underside of the deck boards) with a bio-enzymatic cleaner like Bac-A-Zap or Odor-Mute. These contain bacteria that eat the odor-causing molecules.
• Bleach: A 10% bleach solution can disinfect the area, but be careful not to splash it on your wood deck, as it will stain.

Prevention

Once the ordeal is over, prevent it from happening again. Install a “trench and screen” barrier around the base of your deck using 1/4 inch hardware cloth buried in the ground. This keeps skunks, opossums, and groundhogs out for good.

If you can’t stomach the job—or if the animal is too hard to reach—call Critter Removal of Louisville. We have the protective gear, the tools, and the stomach to handle the dirty work for you.