Or with a larger animal you might find a damp spot or a stain on the wall or ceiling.
Dead animal in wall smells like fish.
I ve had plenty of dead mice in walls under floors etc.
Almost a week went by and the smell was on off and we could not track it down.
Flies in the room may lead you right to the spot some technicians have been known to release flies to find a carcass.
In the case of very small animals like a baby mouse the scent may only last a day or two.
Usually the smell is bad for a while but it gradually goes away completely.
A single small animal like a mouse or a bird decomposes very quickly.
The plastic used in these components contains a chemical that emits a fish or urine like smell when it gets extremely hot or burns.
How long will a dead animal smell.
Follow these steps to eliminate the odor problem.
If it s a larger animal or multiple small ones decomposition would take longer and the odor would persist longer obviously.
This can make a house uninhabitable until the stench has been eliminated.
However if the smell if a noxious sickly smell most likely you have an insect nest or dead animal s somewhere in your plumbing or duct system.
As long as the animal is decomposing it will emit a strong smell.
The most common cause for an unexplained fish odor in the home is not mold or dead animals in the crawlspace as many people might think.
To locate a dead animal in a wall void use your nose.
Instead it is overheated plastic in electrical components.
People who are trying to be helpful may suggest that these smells are from dead fish in the yard or dead rodents in the walls others may suggest they are the result of sewer gas backing out of your plumbing system or mold odors resulting from wet building materials.
And yes the smell was sort of like fish or dead animal.
Finding the source of the smell.
Top 5 strange smells.
The best way to eliminate the smell of a dead animal inside your wall is to find the animal and remove it.
If you smell animal waste dander cat boxes or any other pet smells that s probably what it is either prior or current pets in the building.
Eventually i got as far as too smelling every square inch of the wall in the room that had this smell.
Once completely decayed or dried out the smell should subside.
Well then let s get down to business and find out what could be the most likely culprit behind this putrid reek.
As i approached the electrical outlet i didn t smell anything but it felt warm.
However if the animal dies in or around damp conditions this process will take longer.
When an animal like a rat squirrel opossum or raccoon dies in a wall attic or another area of your home the smell can be overwhelming.