Mice nest in walls - Ask Extension
Have what must be mice nest’s in walls and they are putting out an odor through the wall that is persistent. If all the mice are eliminated will the...
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Mice nest in walls #537293
Asked December 10, 2018, 4:43 PM EST
Have what must be mice nest’s in walls and they are putting out an odor through the wall that is persistent. If all the mice are eliminated will the odor go away or will the nest leave a lingering odor that just stays?
Nassau County New York
Expert Response
My impression of nests behind walls that are smelling is one of the following.
1. It is still an active nest meaning that the cause of the odors are being renewed by the animal and will not go away.
2. The rodent(s) have died behind the wall and they are slowly rotting or being eaten by various beetles. The odor may go away once the bodies have dried out or have been consumed by the insects.
3. It does no necessarily be a mouse nest. It could be rats or some other organism, dead or alive in he void. Larger dead things will take longer to dry out or be consumed and thus the odors will last longer.
Fats and other liquids from the bodies can leach into the wood and continue to rot or attract other organisms to the site.
They may or may not eventually consume the material and remove the source of the odors.
The point is that the odors may go away over time or you may become adapted to them and no longer notice them. If they do not go away, you may need to try alternative means of removing what is behind the wall to remove the odors.
You probably need to find out how the mice or other organisms got into the voids in the first place since others may find that area attractive in the future.
If moisture has entered the area, you could have other odor problems.
thanks for response.
