Getting Rid of Rodent Odor

Rodent odor can be a big problem if the pest removal option used results in dead rodent bodies somewhere in the house. Homeowners don't always realize that there are dead rodents in the home until the smell becomes noticeable as the bodies start to decompose. That's why some rodent control methods like rat poisoning (or the poisoning of any type of rodent, including mice, squirrel, and others) aren't a good idea. Besides being cruel, they rarely address the real problem and can lead to the issue of locating and disposing of rodents who crawled throughout the home to die.

Eliminating rodent odor isn't complicated, but it's also not necessarily easy. The biggest thing you can do is to locate the body (or bodies) and dispose of them. This can be difficult if the bodies are in inaccessible areas like walls or attics. If the areas are too difficult to reach, homeowners may need to just live with the smell until it naturally dissipates.

Another option is to hire a professional pest control company to help with difficult-to-reach areas. Professional help can be invaluable because they can significantly decrease the stress associated with the clean-up, and they have all the necessary knowledge and equipment to get the job done more effectively and faster than the average homeowner.

However, if you decide to do it yourself, remember that rodents can pass a number of diseases to humans. It is important to familiarize yourself with safety tips for cleaning up rodent feces - and not just their droppings, but also other rodent debris which all have the potential to pass on parasites or disease. Even furnishings and carpets may need to be shampooed and steam-cleaned.

Once the bodies have been removed and the area cleaned, the smell may still continue to linger unpleasantly for several weeks. Lots of ventilation in the form of open windows and doors, cross-ventilating the home, and the use of fans, can help the smell to dissipate faster. Commercial deodorizers, disinfectants, and air fresheners can help in the meantime. There are even products for use with carpets and upholstered furniture to help absorb and eliminate smells.

Unfortunately, there's no quick way to get rid of rodent odor. Short of getting rid of the dead rodents, cleaning, ventilating, and waiting for the smell to dissipate, there's not much else you can do. Stay away from the use of any type of poisoned baits - an utterly cruel method of pest control. Use humane pest control methods, whenever possible, which will also help to minimize the risk that rodents will crawl off to die somewhere in your home.