Yikes! Dead mouse in wall - what can I do to make the smell go away faster?

[JKMastalski]

Its making me sick to my stomach! And cutting a hole in the wall to get it out is out of the question because our house is up on the market. I am praying nobody wants to come see it in the next few days because the smell is really strong!
Any home remedies?

 

[meeskamouska]

I think the smell will only get worse until the little critter is removed....looks like you might have to do a quick patch job!!! Sorry....




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[DVCLiz]

Sorry to say it will just take time. I used to work in an historic house, where a quick hole in the wall would have required an expensive fix done by traditional 19th century methods, so we had to suck it up when something died in the walls or under thehouse. That sick sweet smell was awful, so I feel for you!!!

 

[mickeyboat]

I think if my house was on the market, I would get the thing out and patch the wall, if I knew exactly where the mouse was. The first thing I notice when I walk into a house is the smell.

My in laws had a mouse die in their wall, and the smell lasted a really really long time - we were still smelling it months after it began. They tried all kinds of air fresheners, and really nothing masked the smell.

Good luck!

Denae

 

[LiteBrite]

I don't think there's anything, short of cutting the wall and removing it, that you can do. Wish I had better news for you.

 

[dreamcometrue]

it's not that hard to patch a hole in the wall! Well, at least my DH has always patched them fairly quickly! I say if your house is on the market, and you know where the mouse is, get it out of there! I would not buy a house that smells of dead animal!

 

[pittypat]

Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but... We had a squirrel die in our wall and basically we just had to wait it out. We tried putting charcoal pieces down in the wall but, honestly that did not do much. We also could not get anyone to come out and try to eliminate the smell either. The other thing you can "look forward" to are the huge black flies that will come a little later. All around, an AWFUL experience!!

 

[sugarpie]

Do you think anybody is going to buy your putrid smelling house??

Sorry. Just joking. I think you need to get the mouse out.

 

[ElizaB39]

When in doubt, get it out!

 

[Frantasmic]

A liquid air freshener tied up to a jet engine fan?

 

[Frantasmic]

Alternatively, you could serve bean burrito snacks or sauer kraut to the prospective buyers and ensure they see the rest of the house, slowly, before the area where the mouse is.

 

[lucas]

Ewwwwwwwwwww!

 

[sugarpie]

Alternatively, you could serve bean burrito snacks or sauer kraut to the prospective buyers and ensure they see the rest of the house, slowly, before the area where the mouse is.

That's an interesting option.

 

[ADisneyQueen]

My uncle had adead mouse in his wall. The smell got worse and worse until her took it out. I think you should get it out. You may be getting used to it somewhat, but your potential buyers will notice it right away.

 

[nuttylawprofessor]

Our friends had a dead mouse in their couch and the couch repair guy found it. I kept dreading going over to their place because it smelled so bad. Since they got rid of the mouse, it smells so much better!

 

[sugarpie]

The #1 rule when buying real estate is:

If it smells like dead mouse, do not buy the house!

 

[CathrynRose]

The #1 rule when buying real estate is:

If it smells like dead mouse, do not buy the house!

Yes - I believe most realtors relay this message to their home buyers.

 

[1Prince2Princesses]

I had one die in the AC system in my car once. It was REALLY expensive to get it out, so I just sucked it up and waited it out. I literally smelled that thing for like 2 months.

Patch the wall.

 

[oxfordcircus]

If you can smell it, I bet it's a rat rather than a mouse. I agree with the others that the only way you can get the smell out is to remove the offending carcass. Cool weather just prolongs the agony. Speaking from experience: it takes a least a week for the stench to peak before declining.

Also, it's very difficult to pinpoint the precise location of the dead animal. You might think a small hole will do the trick, but it may be in a different void or up high rather than along the baseboard. I once thought I had located a dead rat by the smell coming from an electical outlet (niiiiice), but after I had ripped out some trim, carpet and subflooring, I found that the rat had a network of tunnels chewed through the studs. The body was nowhere to be seen. So my destruction was for nothing and the rat stench stayed on. And, that's how I learned how long it takes for the stench to go away.

 

[Green Tea]

With a house on the market you need to call someone to deal with it. Both get it out and fix the wall. I'd rather see a house with a mid repair drywall patch than smell a house!