dead animal smell from empty basement closet!

[Anonymous]

Hi all, there is a terrible dead animal (I think) smell in the closet underneath the stairs in my finished basement. This is in the center of the house. I see nothing. Has anyone experienced this? I will call the pest people today but if they can't see anything I'm not sure what they can do. Could it be in the unfinished part behind the closet wall? I have no idea how it could get there? There is no ductwork in the closet either. Any insight is appreciated!

[Anonymous]

dead mouse or dead rat.

hope for the dead mouse. smell will go away faster... it is amazing that such a small critter will smell so bad.

[Anonymous]

Yes. Sounds like a dead mouse in the wall.

[Anonymous]

It could also be a leak.

[Anonymous]

OP here, no water pipes around the closet, and based on nasty smell, I think it’s a mouse (in gaithersburg so I don’t think we hsve rats). Do I just wait for it to decompose in the wall?! Or cut out the drywall and remove? Thanks again to you who have dealt with this!

[Anonymous]

Yup, dead mouse or rat. As another poster said, hope it's a mouse. You can try to cut a hole in the closet near the bottom where you think the smell is the worst (our cat alerted us to where our dead mouse was a few years ago) and then take it out. Otherwise you have to wait out the smell. It's awful. Buy a bunch of those charcoal air purifying bags and throw them in there. Open windows. Not much you can do.

[Anonymous]

Thanks so much for the advice! I don’t have a cat so not sure how to locate it. But at least I know my options thanks to you all. This is so gross!! Have a good day!

[Anonymous]

If it’s a mouse, they’re so little. Wait a week, open the windows, and see if it is gone.

[Anonymous]

OP also do you have any drains in the basement you don’t use frequently? A shower, etc? Run some water in all the drains. Over time the water in the traps can dry out, and then you can get a sewer gas smell. I know you think you’ve pinpointed the location but gas can settle and human noses aren’t that good. It’s worth ruling it out because the fix is so easy.