Possums in the Walls
There is nothing more frustrating than not being able to track down or eliminate an offensive odor in your home. More often than not, offensive odors have a source that is not only unpleasant, but als ohas the propensity to cause disease and spread bacteria throughout your home. Possums are not born with an understanding of common home architecture, nor are they able to climb out of walls once they fall into them.
Where's That Smell Coming From?
This is not a question you want to ask inside your home, and certainly not one you want to be on the mind of your guests. In order to properly inspect for possums, you'll need to inspect the attic and be able to access the walls of your home. A flashlight is a good tool, as well as a long, collapsible pole with a mechanical clamp at the end. Once in the attic, you will probably be confronted with a stong odor.
It's not easy to locate the source of the smell by the smell alone, so look for flies or other flying insects and see where they are congregating. Use the flashlight to see the swarm and some diluted bleach spray misted through the air to encourage them to disappate. You may need to install fly paper nearby or a fly funnel trap to make it possible to remove the possum if the fly problem is serious.
Before fishing out your possum, make sure you have eye protection, gloves, long sleeves on arms and legs, and an air mask equipped to your person. Like most animals, a possum will likely have voided their bowels and their poop contains bacteria. Place the dead carcass inside a plastic bag, and then another. Refer to local regulations for animal carcass disposal as they vary by location.
Cleaning Up After Dead Possums in the Wall
This is a tricky task that will probably require the services of professional wildlife removal and sanitation experts. Not only do you need to make sure that the immediate area where you discovered the dead marsupial is clean, but that your insulation surrounding the area is sanitized. Often times our company and others like it will need to replace insulation or drywall if it has become soiled with the decomposed materials to fully eliminate the odor and bacteria.