Three simple things make mice want to live in homes: The homes are warm, safe, and full of food. As soon as mice get into a house, they tend to look for food in the darkest areas, like air ducts, crawl spaces, and wall holes. If mice aren’t caught, there’s nothing that can stop them. They can climb walls and fit through holes the size of a nickel.
When you find signs of mice in your home, this article will tell you what to do. It will also tell you how to get rid of mice or rats in crawl spaces, live or dead mice in walls, and rodents in air ducts.
What Does A Dead Mouse Smell Like?
It smells like something is going bad, with a hint of sulfur and natural gas.
So why does a body that is breaking down smell so bad? The smell comes from the methane, sulfur dioxide, and chemicals that the body gives off as it breaks down. The smell gets stronger the longer the body is broken down in one place, especially a small space.
The strength and length of the smell depend on a number of factors, including:
- Mouse size: The smell is stronger when the mouse is bigger.
- Scavenger access: Birds of prey, lizards, snakes, and small mammals are some scavengers that eat dead mice.
- Humidity and temperature: Things break down faster in places that are hot and humid. The smell is now much stronger because of this.
How To Locate A Dead Mouse
You have to use your eyes and nose and think like a mouse to find a dead squirrel.
Some things you can see that will help you figure out where a mouse has been are:
- Mouse droppings
- Mouse paw prints
- Streaks on surfaces or walls
- Chewed items and entryways
If you still can’t find it, think about where in your house a mouse might hang out. Some common places to hide are:
- In cupboards
- Under sofas
- In closets
- In attics
- In walls
- Under floorboards
- In air ducts
- In crawl spaces
Use your nose to figure out exactly where the smell is coming from. To do that, you’ll probably have to get down on your hands and knees, but the source could also be in the vents above you.
It’s harder to get rid of them if they’ve found a home in the walls or under the floorboards but still possible. There probably isn’t a lot of ways to get to the dead mouse, even if you find the smell.
How to Get Rid of Dead Mouse Smells Quickly and Effectively
Ventilate Your Space
Increasing the flow of air in the room with the worst smell is your best first line of defense. Open the windows and doors and run a fan near the area to get more fresh air.
Active Charcoal Packets
These little packets are great for getting rid of smells. Many packets should be put around the area that smells the worst.
Dead Animal Odor Removers
You won’t believe it, but there are goods that are made to get rid of the smell of dead bodies and decay in your home. To get rid of the smell of dead mice in your home, do what the product says to do.
Essential Oils, Candles, Sprays
These items won’t get rid of the smell, but they might cover it up with a nicer scent.
Dry Coffee Grounds
Coffee grounds are good at absorbing smells and giving off a nice coffee smell. Put the grounds in small bowls and put them near the smelly spot.
Air Purifiers
This option is more expensive than the others, but it can get rid of smells and pollutants in the air in your home pretty well.
Homemade Solutions
Both baking soda and white pure vinegar can get rid of smells naturally. Mix equal parts water and vinegar to make your own spray, or mix 1 teaspoon of baking soda with 2 cups of water. Put the spray on the smelly spot to get rid of it.
How To Remove Dead Mouse Smell From Your House
If you find the dead mouse, you should get rid of it right away. Clean and deodorize the area, then let air flow through it to get rid of the smell.
Getting rid of the dead mouse will get rid of most of the bad smell. Once you’ve found the mouse, take these steps to get rid of it:
- Put on a mask and rubber gloves: Animals that live in homes carry a broad range of illnesses. a number of illnesses and can make asthma and allergens worse. You can use the plastic bag from the next step if you don’t have gloves.
- Put the mouse in a bag made of plastic: You can zip the bag shut, tie it off, or use a twist tie.
- Put the mouse in a bag in the trash: Do not put a dead mouse down the toilet.
As you clean, you should not only get rid of the smell, but also make sure the area is clean because rats can carry diseases. You can get rid of smells with baking soda, charcoal, or enzyme sprays for pet smells. You could also use both deodorizing and sanitizing products together. Mix 10 parts bleach to 90 parts water. You can also use vinegar or store-bought disinfectants.
Moving the air around will help get rid of the smell after you’ve taken the mouse out and cleaned the area. You can use a fan, open the windows and doors, or put in an air ventilation device to do this.
The Best Way: Call the Experts!
If you can’t figure out where the strong smell of a dead mouse is coming from in your home, calling a pest control professional is the best thing to do.
Professionals who deal with pests know how mice act and have experience with it. They also come with the right tools to find your dead mouse and pull it out.
A professional pest control service will also promise to find the mouse’s home and safely get rid of it.
How Long Does The Smell of a Dead Mouse Last?
You don’t have to worry about how long the smell will last if you think the dead mouse is probably inside your walls. A dead mouse will smell for at least a week, but sometimes it can last longer.
Certain things, like how warm and damp your home is and the size of the mouse, affect how long the smell lasts. To get rid of the smell, try turning on your air conditioner more often to lower the temperature and humidity in your home.
How To Prevent Dead Mouse Smell
You may want to know how to keep the smell of a dead mouse from happening again after having smelled it. You can stop it from happening, but there are also things you can do to make things better.
First, always put mouse traps where they can be seen. This way, you can quickly see if a mouse is caught and get rid of it. Second, don’t use poison for mice. Mice often eat the poison and then die while moving through your walls. To keep mice away, use traps or non-toxic killers.
Third, hire a pest control company to put up barriers around your home that mice can’t get through. The outside of your home will be checked by pest control professionals to find entry spots. These will then be sealed with metal mesh to keep mice and other animals out.