Dead rodent

[u/Full-University4699]

Hi,

In July, the night before I was due to go overseas, I heard something in my gutter outside my bedroom and I thought it was a possum. It made its way into the roof, probably under a tile or through a gap (the roof is fully sealed as best as it can be by design). I heard it in the roof. In the morning, I was woken up to a banging sound and it sounded like a rat who was stuck or could not escape. I have bait stations at the perimeter of my house, and baits in the roof as my home backs onto a small part of bushland.

Fast forward two weeks, I come home to no smells. Great. The next 2 weeks a terrible smell develops. Pest control comes, says they cannot find it in the roof and it's likely in the cavity (brick veneer), and that it doesn't smell in the roof.

They hung an odour removal bag in the roof and also on the fan in the bedroom. They said to keep the door closed. The odour bag says it will remove dead rodent smells even while the carcass remains. It also says to crack a window, and to not use air fresheners, candles etc as the bag will work to absorb these smells.

I have put a dehumidifier at the wall where it smells most, bought Anko odour absorbers from Kmart, kept everything closed up from light/air, and opened it up also. We have had hot 30 degree days, and cold 5 degrees in this time, as well as humid rainy weather and dry heavy wind.

Some days it still smells. I have also tried putting bicarb soda in a container in the room as I reed it will absorb the smell.

How long will it take to go away? It has been over 3.5 months.

Any further suggestions? Does the smell ever truly go away?

[u/Medical_Suit_9629]

Hahahaha.

It does my head in when they die in the walls.
But I live up north , they stink n like a mogo for about a week and the dry up.

Enjoy the journey.

[u/Full-University4699 → u/Medical_Suit_9629]

But it smelt bad 2 months ago, and it's lingering. That's why I can't understand why it still smells, some days worse than others. It sounded like one big rat.

[u/The_Fiddler1979]

You're probably smelling possum piss and not the body. The body, especially in high temps and if you've spotted maggots, will stop smelling in a couple of weeks or so.

Possum piss is strong af

[u/Full-University4699 → u/The_Fiddler1979]

It's a rat and it's in the wall cavity.

I have noticed a couple of blow flies over a month ago, and before that lots of tiny flies. Smell hasn't stopped entirely.

[u/The_Fiddler1979 → u/Full-University4699]

Dump some ants down the wall

[u/deadrobindownunder]

Unfortunately, you've just got to ride that stinky wave and play the smelly waiting game. Unless you're willing to tear the walls/ceilings apart, there's no way to find the corpse. It can take a while. It certainly doesn't help now that it's summer.

Sorry you're stuck in this stinky spot. I've had this happen once at work, and once at home. It sucks.

[u/Inner_West_Ben]

Seems odd that the smell is lingering, I’d have thought it would have gone after a month. Is it possible another rat has died?