Our friends have noticed a very bad smell--like that a dead animal...coming
from somewhere in the dining room of their home. It's been very strong for a
month now. They don't smell it in the basement below the room or in the
attic above. The smell is too strong to be coming from a mouse. I've smelled
it and it definitely smells like rotting flesh. They're thinking it could be
a squirrel or similar animal that became trapped inside the wall...but they
can't determine the exact location by sniffing along the wall.

Two questions:

1. Is there some sort of "smell detection" device can help them find the exact
location of the smell?

2. Is this something that their homeowner's insurance would cover?

Thanks!
Scott

P.S. A black cat has gone missing.

---------------------------------

Hi, I wanted to update everyone about this problem, which I first posted in February.
The bad smell has been located.

A few days ago, a couple of construction friends of my homeowner friend came over
and removed a section of sheetrock from the corner of the dining room closest to
the garage. Right away, they spotted a long line of beetles moving inside the wall.
They followed the beetles upward to see where they were feeding. They found a large,
black, dead cat lodged in the wall. It looks like the cat entered through the garage
and entered the wall (it was wintertime in Minnesota) between the ceiling of the
dining room and the floor of the bedroom above....and he got trapped. This explains
why the smell didn't go away, even after five months.

I told my friend just a few weeks ago to borrow the neighbor's hunting dog to sniff
arouond, but he didn't take action. He's at work all day, and his wife stays home,
so it wasn't so urgent for him. Anyway, a couple of construction worker friends from
church convinced him to open up the sheetrock, and the mystery was solved.

I'm really glad they won't have to put up with that lousy smell any more. Sometimes,
you just have to get in there and tear things apart.

Thanks for all your suggestions!
Scott

Scott wrote:
Our friends have noticed a very bad smell--like that a dead animal...coming
from somewhere in the dining room of their home. It's been very strong for a
month now. They don't smell it in the basement below the room or in the
attic above. The smell is too strong to be coming from a mouse. I've smelled
it and it definitely smells like rotting flesh. They're thinking it could be
a squirrel or similar animal that became trapped inside the wall...but they
can't determine the exact location by sniffing along the wall.

Two questions:

1. Is there some sort of "smell detection" device can help them find the exact
location of the smell?

2. Is this something that their homeowner's insurance would cover?

Thanks!
Scott

P.S. A black cat has gone missing.

---------------------------------

Hi, I wanted to update everyone about this problem, which I first posted in February.
The bad smell has been located.

A few days ago, a couple of construction friends of my homeowner friend came over
and removed a section of sheetrock from the corner of the dining room closest to
the garage. Right away, they spotted a long line of beetles moving inside the wall.
They followed the beetles upward to see where they were feeding. They found a large,
black, dead cat lodged in the wall. It looks like the cat entered through the garage
and entered the wall (it was wintertime in Minnesota) between the ceiling of the
dining room and the floor of the bedroom above....and he got trapped. This explains
why the smell didn't go away, even after five months.

I told my friend just a few weeks ago to borrow the neighbor's hunting dog to sniff
arouond, but he didn't take action. He's at work all day, and his wife stays home,
so it wasn't so urgent for him. Anyway, a couple of construction worker friends from
church convinced him to open up the sheetrock, and the mystery was solved.

I'm really glad they won't have to put up with that lousy smell any more. Sometimes,
you just have to get in there and tear things apart.

Thanks for all your suggestions!
Scott

Ive seen where animals have gotten into homes when they are being built
and concealed by sheetrock where they die..... and squirrels can get
anywhere... I had a squirrel get into a wall of my house a few years
ago...it was a wall in a stairwell leading down to my basement....I had
heard some scratching and movement in there one evening.... I ended up
tearing half a sheet off the wall to liberate the squirrel.... Wish we
had a video camera to tape me trying to chase the squirrel back out of
the house....that poor animal went all thru house...I finally had to
open every door in the house...during the winter.... and just kept
chasing that idiot till he finally ran out the door.

Later that same winter I came upon a squirrel in the basement sitting
on the wash sink....again I opened the basement doors but still ended
up chasing him thru the house.
At one point he ended up on a bookshelf in my workshop and I walked up
to the bench and actually spoke to the squirrel for a couple of minutes
while we caught our breath....he just sat there and didnt repond of
course.....then the chase was back on and he finally ran out the door
instead of running past it.