Dead animal smell removal

What we do and what we do not

It is important to separate two things here, because they are done by different specialists.

What we do: we treat the premises, remove the smell and disinfect the place where the source was, once it has been taken out.

What we do not do: we do not take animals out of building structures and we do not deal with the underlying cause in the building. If the cause is not dealt with, the situation will repeat itself, and no treatment changes that.

If this is exactly your situation, that service is provided by deratizacijariga.lv. Once the source has been taken out, we take over the treatment of the premises. We mention it only because without that step our work makes no sense — we do not sell that service and we do not do it ourselves.

First the source is removed, only then are the premises treated. The other way round gives no result.

Why this smell is so intense

Organic decomposition releases sulphur compounds and amines — substances the human nose detects at extremely low concentrations. That is why the smell seems out of all proportion to the size of the source: even a very small source inside a structure can fill an entire flat.

1Intense, but not permanentUnlike tobacco or urine, the process is limited in time. When it ends, the source stops releasing.

2Heat speeds it upIn summer, and near hot risers or heating pipes, the process runs faster and the smell is stronger.

3It builds up in materialsTextiles, soft furniture and finishes absorb the volatile compounds and keep releasing them afterwards.

4It travels through ductsA ventilation shaft carries the smell to rooms and flats where the source is not at all.

The last point explains a frequent situation in a block of flats: the smell is noticeable in several flats at once, and each household thinks the source is theirs. If the smell is stronger at the ventilation grille than anywhere else in the room, it is travelling through the shaft and the source is most likely elsewhere.

Where the source usually is

in a ventilation shaft or duct;
in a partition wall or under the floor;
behind fitted furniture;
in the attic or the basement;
under a terrace or a porch;
behind a boxed-in riser or under the bath.

The location can often be narrowed down from a few signs. First — where the smell is strongest after the room has been shut for a long time. Second — whether it gets stronger in warmer weather or after the heating comes on. Third — whether it is stronger against a wall at a particular height, which points to a void in the structure.

Building type matters again here. In pre-war buildings with timber partitions and voids in the floor structures the source can be practically anywhere inside the structure, and reaching it means opening up the finishes. Panel blocks have few voids, so the source is nearly always in the ventilation shaft or behind boxing-in. In private houses the commonest places are the attic, under the terrace and the plant rooms.

How to tell it apart from other smells

Before you start breaking open finishes, it is worth being sure this really is what you are dealing with. Several completely different problems smell similar and have completely different solutions.

Points to an organic source in the structure

The smell started suddenly, within a few days, and is very intense.
It gets stronger in warmer weather and when the heating comes on.
It is localised — at a specific point or height on a wall.
After a few weeks it starts to fade on its own.

Points to something else

A musty, “basement” type smell without sharpness — most likely damp and mould.
A smell with a daily rhythm, in the evenings — the sewer riser and a siphoned trap.
A smell only at the ventilation grille — it is travelling through the shaft from elsewhere.
A smell that holds steady for months without change — usually not this process.

The most important sign is the curve over time. This process is intense but bounded: it starts, peaks and then ends. If the smell has been equally strong for several months without changing, the cause is most likely something else — most often damp in the structure or the sewer system. In that case it is worth reading Removing damp smell and Removing sewage smell before you plan to open anything up.

How the treatment works

Clarifying the situation

We establish whether the source has already been taken out and whether the spot can be reached.

Disinfecting the spot

We treat the place where the source was and the area immediately around it.

Ventilation treatment

If the smell has spread through the ducts, we treat the accessible part of them.

Ozone treatment

We treat the room — this is the most effective method for this smell.

Airing

We air the premises and assess the result.

If the source is somewhere that cannot be reached, we say openly that the treatment will be partial: the smell will be reduced, but it will only go completely once the process ends naturally. Promising a different result in that situation would not be honest.

In practice that means a choice between two options. Either open up the structure, take the source out and then treat — more expensive, but it gives a closed result. Or ozone-treat the room, bring the smell down to an acceptable level and let the process run its course. The second option makes sense when the source is small and reaching it would mean dismantling the finishes.

What helps in the meantime:

Do not run air conditioning on recirculation — it spreads the smell through the whole flat.
Provide continuous air exchange rather than one short airing a day.
Do not use fragrances — they make the source harder to find and remove nothing.
Keep the doors of the worst-affected rooms closed so the smell does not spread further.

Prices

Ozone treatment €1.20/m², minimum order €60. If the spot also needs disinfecting after the source has been taken out, we include that in the quote after an inspection.

Frequently asked questions

Can you treat if the source cannot be found?

We can treat the room and substantially reduce the smell. But if the source stays inside the structure, the smell will only go completely once the process ends naturally — we say that up front.

How long does a smell like this last without treatment?

Depending on the size and the conditions it can take from a few weeks to several months. Warmth makes the process run faster. Ozone treatment shortens that time considerably.

Do you take animals out of ventilation shafts?

No, that is not something we do. We treat the premises after the source has been removed.

Removing dead animal smell