Dead Animal Removal in Adairsville, GA

A dead animal in your Adairsville walls or crawlspace

A dead animal inside the house usually announces itself with a sweet, rotten smell that gets stronger every day. It's strongest in one room, near a closet, or at a floor register, and air freshener does nothing. Flies start gathering at the nearest window. Around Adairsville, the usual cause is a rat, mouse, squirrel or opossum that came in from the barns and fields, got into a wall, attic or crawlspace, and died there. Old farmhouses and older homes near downtown make the search harder, because years of additions and repairs leave hidden spaces between old and new walls.

There's no secret method for finding it. Pros use smell and flies, narrowing it down room by room until they find the spot. If nothing is done, the smell typically lasts about 14 days from start to finish, and it's worse in Georgia's heat. After the carcass is removed, a good pro also finds how the animal got in. A dead animal inside almost always means there's an opening that a live one can still use.

Rat poison and the smell that follows

The most common cause of a smell inside a wall is rat poison. A poisoned rodent doesn't die out in the open. It crawls back to its nest, which is often inside a wall, above the ceiling or under the floor, and dies there. On farm property, where rodents from the barn put pressure on the house, people often put out bait, and this is what happens next. The lesson is to seal the house and trap the rodents instead of poisoning them, so the next rodent doesn't die where you can't reach it.

Why waiting makes it worse

The smell usually starts a day or two after the animal dies, gets stronger over the next several days, and then slowly fades over about two weeks. Heat makes it worse. A hot attic or a wall on the sunny side of the house speeds up decay, and the HVAC system can carry the smell into other rooms. During that time, flies multiply and fluids can stain drywall and ceilings. Removing the carcass shortens all of that.

Older houses make the search harder

Finding the carcass is usually the hardest part, and older Adairsville homes can make it more difficult. Many old farmhouses have been added onto more than once, leaving gaps between the original walls and newer ones, closed-off chimney chases, and floors built over older floors. A pro narrows it down by following the smell and watching where flies collect, so they can open the wall or ceiling in one spot instead of cutting several holes and hoping.

Removal and cleanup

Removing the carcass is only part of the job. The pro also removes contaminated material underneath it, like soaked insulation or a stained subfloor board, and treats the area with an enzyme or disinfectant cleaner to break down the source of the smell. Air fresheners and plug-ins only cover up the odor while the animal is still there. Ask whether the job includes sealing the entry point, because ending the smell and preventing the next one go together.

Wall, attic or crawlspace

Where the animal is decides how the pro gets to it. In the attic, it's usually under insulation near an entry. In a wall, it's often near a pipe chase or a gap at the top of the wall. In the crawlspace, which is common under older farmhouses, it's usually near a vent or foundation gap. Pros try to avoid cutting when they can. If cutting is needed, ask up front whether they'll patch the opening. Most wildlife companies do not do drywall repair, so you may need a separate contractor.

Close the opening it came through

A dead animal inside the house means a live one got in first. Once the carcass is out, the pro finds the opening, often a gable vent, a ground vent or a construction gap, and seals it with metal. Otherwise the next animal from the barn or woodlot can use the same route. Removal plus sealing ends the problem. Removal alone usually means you'll be calling again.