Sometimes during the fall and winter months we receive phone calls about bad smells or odors in the home. When an animal like a rat, squirrel, opossum or raccoon dies in an inaccessible area of your home, the smell can be overwhelming. The primary problem with dead animals, of course, is the odor. When an animal dies in the home, it will naturally start to decay. As it does, it gives off organic compound odorant molecules which we detect with our olfactory sense. The odor may be slight at first, but after about three days after the death of the animal, the odor can be quite strong.

Attempting to locate the bad smell can be frustrating, overwhelming and sometimes near possible, especially if the odor is coming from behind an inaccessible wall. Below are tips to locate the bad smell in your home:

• Use your nose! Attempt to use your sense of smell to locate the area where the bad smell is coming from.

• Observe your pets. Animals are good indicators when they are intrigued by an area or will not leave that location alone.

• Take a look around. Inspect the usual areas like heater vents, fireplaces, dryer vents, crawl spaces, attic areas for rodents and other creatures. Often these areas are locations where creatures can get stuck or attempt to access from the outside to seek indoor shelter.

Although the strength of the odor depends on many factors, none of these tips work, it may be time to contact someone who can help. If you were successful, congratulations! Finding the source of the odor is the hardest and usually the grossest step of the entire process. If all of these methods fail, you can have a pest professional apply a product to neutralize the odor and assist with the decaying process.

To prevent any bad odors from occurring in your home, the best method is exclusion. Exclusion is designed to prevent pests and rodents from gaining access inside. Exclusion is the best defense against rodents and bad smells. Before caulking and sealing all the entry points around your home, be sure you don’t trap any critters inside. Pest professionals have the expert eye to determine all the areas that need exclusion, remember mice only need an entry point the size of the dime.

If your Clifton Park home requires pest control, it’s best to let a professional exterminator handle the infestation. Thomas Pest Services is your rodent control experts offering multiple types of services to effectively control rodent infestations, and prevent their return. Protect your home, family and heath by contacting us for a no charge consultation today!