Dead rats can be hard to find. They may end up in the walls, or buried under the attic insulation. The trick to finding them? -
Persistence, and a good sense of smell. That's it, really.
You just have to look and look. I often have to cut them out of walls or ceilings or hard-to-reach areas. I have found that experience is a huge asset when it comes to finding and getting rid of dead rats.
How to get rid of smell of dead rodents in attic -
If you have just managed to eliminate all the rodents in your home, you’re probably wondering why there is still a strong odor in the attic. To get rid off the smell of dead rodents in the attic, you need to do more than just remove the bodies. When an animal dies, especially as suddenly as a rat in a snap trap will, the muscles in the body relax, allowing urine and feces to be expelled. There will also be a limited amount of blood and saliva. Rats that have been poisoned will be far messier. There will be bodily fluids and tissue everywhere. Anything that is liquid will soak into the materials around the remains. These remnants of the animal are what create that lingering odor. To get rid off the dead rodent smell, you need to get an enzymatic cleaner to neutralize the decomposing particles still on the floor. Any porous or fabric materials, like insulation, need to be replaced. There is no salvaging insulation. If you leave the soiled materials, not only will the smell continue, more rats will come to your home because they can detect the dead rats’ pheromones.
How to find a dead rat in the attic -
Attics are as unique as the homes they were built in, so locating a dead rat inside of an attic can be really easy or really difficult. Open attics encompassing the entire floor plan of the home will often have deceased rats within sight, out in the open. Attics that are less finished and filled with insulation, beams, ducts, and wires are significantly more difficult to traverse when looking for a dead rat. Smell may not be your best indicator when a rat is in the attic. You may be able to determine what side of the house the creature is on, but due to air currents it will be difficult to determine the exact location from the active living areas of the home. To find your dead rat you will have to climb into the attic. Rats that die of natural means will often be close to their nests. These rodents leave enough of a trail through feces and grease that nest areas should be easy to find. If the body is not in that location, you can assume the creature looked for another dark, warm place to spend its final moments. Check every nook and every corner of the attic. Look for anywhere a rat may have wiggled into. Once the body is located, remove it and clean the area thoroughly.
How to get rid of dead rats in the wall -
There are many ways to figure out how to get rid of rats in the wall. You can call a professional and ask for advice or you can do the research on your own. Most of the time, rats in the wall is a situation that a homeowner can handle. If those rats are dead rats, that’s a different story. Dead animals offer a different challenge. Their bodies are not always in the area where the smell is. This has to do with air currents and moisture within the home. You may want to ask for help if you want to get rid of a dead rat in the wall. Live rats will likely have other areas in the home where they are travelling. Look in the attic and other unused spaces. See if there are any droppings, grease marks, or urine puddles. Rats like to mark the places where they spend time. These markings identify the location and give off pheromones for other rats. These pheromones are why it is important to close up the rat holes in the exterior of the building before you try to trap your rodents. Trapping when new rats can enter the building is pointless and often counterproductive.
If you cant find the dead rat, can you get sick? Can you get help? Yes to both questions. Leaving a dead body, especially that of a rat, inside of the home raises concerns about potential illnesses. Rats are known carriers of at least thirty diseases, many of which do not need the rat to be alive for them to transmit to people. A dead rat needs to be found and removed. Even if no health risks existed, the smell from the animal will not go away until the carcass is gone. Do not be dismayed if you have lost a rat to the interior of your walls. There are many professional out there who are trained to assist you in this situation. Many wildlife removal companies offer a dead animal removal plan. These experts will know how to detect where the smell is really coming from based on the air currents in the home. The removal, when it happens, will be quick and will not involve more areas of the home than needed. Hiring a professional can be more cost effective then attempting to open up walls and ceilings on your own.
Do You Need Help? I wrote this website to provide information on How to Get Rid of Dead Rats in the case that you have
a rat problem and need to make an informed decision about what to do. If you
have any questions you may email me, but I do know from experience
that rat removal is not simple. If you need professional help solving your
wildlife conflict, I recommend that you talk to a professional rat
control expert in your town by clicking on my
National Wildlife Control
directory, which lists experts who I recommend in every USA city and town who can
help you with your dead rat problem.
More Rat Articles I've Written:
How to Get Rid of Dead Rats
How to Kill Rats
Rat Repellent
How to Get Rid of Rats in Your House
How to Get Rid of Rats in Your Walls
How to Get Rid of Rats in Your Kitchen
How to Get Rid of Rats in Your Garage
How to Get Rid of Rats in Your Attic
How to Get Rid of Rats in a Barn
How to Get Rid of Rats in Your Basement
How to Get Rid of Rats in the Ceiling
How to Get Rid of Rats in Your Garden
How to Get Rid of Rats in the Insulation
How to Get Rid of Rats in the Crawlspace
How to Get Rid of Rats in Your Yard
How to Get Rid of Rats in a Restaurant
Is Rat Poison Effective
