I'm stumped, one of the rooms in our house recently developed a strong odor.
I think it smells sort of dirty-feetish, my wife says no, smells like dead
animal (though she admits she has no idea what a dead animal smells like).
We've walked around sticking our noses in everything but simply can't locate
it. It's an old house and the room is in a refinished attic. (As I'm tying
this, the wife has now informed me that it's not JUST a dead animal, but
she's certain it smells like a squirrel!! I'm waiting for her to let me know
if it's a 6 month old, grey, male squirrel. Who needs a gas chromatograph
with her around ). So, any ideas on how to locate a hard to find smell?

"Rob" wrote in message
news:A1cRd.20700$sR5.4636@trndny05...
So, any ideas on how to locate a hard to find smell?



Look under the house in the crawlspace.

Rob wrote:
I'm stumped, one of the rooms in our house recently developed a
strong odor. I think it smells sort of dirty-feetish, my wife says
no, smells like dead animal (though she admits she has no idea what a
dead animal smells like). We've walked around sticking our noses in
everything but simply can't locate it. It's an old house and the
room is in a refinished attic. (As I'm tying this, the wife has now
informed me that it's not JUST a dead animal, but she's certain it
smells like a squirrel!! I'm waiting for her to let me know if it's a
6 month old, grey, male squirrel. Who needs a gas chromatograph with
her around ). So, any ideas on how to locate a hard to find smell?

Use a dog.

"Rob" wrote in message
news:A1cRd.20700$sR5.4636@trndny05...
I'm stumped, one of the rooms in our house recently developed a strong
odor. I think it smells sort of dirty-feetish, my wife says no, smells
like dead animal (though she admits she has no idea what a dead animal
smells like). We've walked around sticking our noses in everything but
simply can't locate it. It's an old house and the room is in a refinished
attic. (As I'm tying this, the wife has now informed me that it's not
JUST a dead animal, but she's certain it smells like a squirrel!! I'm
waiting for her to let me know if it's a 6 month old, grey, male squirrel.
Who needs a gas chromatograph with her around ). So, any ideas on how
to locate a hard to find smell?

My wife is the same way. Since she gags on dead animal smell, its up to me
to find it. (My nose died 3 yrs ago, I couldn't smell it if it were on top
of my head). So I have to have her pin point where its the strongest and
then I just do a very thourough cleaning of the room. 9 out of 10 times its
in the basement. IF its in the walls there is not much you can do except
wait a few weeks for it to dry out. Be sure to look at shelves above eye
level. (if you want to hide something in plain sight you do it above eye
level. People just don't look up). I had a chipmunk commit suicide ontop of
the heating duct work once. Because it was above eye level it took over a
week of extensive searching to find, even though it was in plain view. I
also have a air ionizer to kill the smell if I can't find it. Yes it happens
at least twice a year in my house

Alan Smithee wrote:

Rob wrote:
I'm stumped, one of the rooms in our house recently developed a
strong odor. I think it smells sort of dirty-feetish, my wife says
no, smells like dead animal (though she admits she has no idea what a
dead animal smells like). We've walked around sticking our noses in
everything but simply can't locate it. It's an old house and the
room is in a refinished attic. (As I'm tying this, the wife has now
informed me that it's not JUST a dead animal, but she's certain it
smells like a squirrel!! I'm waiting for her to let me know if it's a
6 month old, grey, male squirrel. Who needs a gas chromatograph with
her around ). So, any ideas on how to locate a hard to find smell?

Use a dog.
The hell with the dog, use your wife, watch which way she points when her
expression is the worst - thats where the dead animal is.
Eric

"Rob" wrote in message
news:A1cRd.20700$sR5.4636@trndny05...
I'm stumped, one of the rooms in our house recently developed a strong
odor. I think it smells sort of dirty-feetish, my wife says no, smells
like dead animal (though she admits she has no idea what a dead animal
smells like). We've walked around sticking our noses in everything but
simply can't locate it. It's an old house and the room is in a refinished
attic. (As I'm tying this, the wife has now informed me that it's not
JUST a dead animal, but she's certain it smells like a squirrel!! I'm
waiting for her to let me know if it's a 6 month old, grey, male squirrel.
Who needs a gas chromatograph with her around ). So, any ideas on how
to locate a hard to find smell?


Go down to the hardware store and hire one of the day laborers and have him
crawl under the house and look for the dead creature. While he is under
there have him clean up any debris and it will save you the effort next time
you need termite clearance.
Other option as stated....just wait a few weeks. I had to do that once when
a cat died in an inaccesible area under the house.

Check the vent stack for cracks

"Me" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 18 Feb 2005 02:03:12 GMT, "Rob" wrote:

I'm stumped, one of the rooms in our house recently developed a strong
odor.
I think it smells sort of dirty-feetish, my wife says no, smells like dead
animal (though she admits she has no idea what a dead animal smells like).
We've walked around sticking our noses in everything but simply can't
locate
it. It's an old house and the room is in a refinished attic. (As I'm
tying
this, the wife has now informed me that it's not JUST a dead animal, but
she's certain it smells like a squirrel!! I'm waiting for her to let me
know
if it's a 6 month old, grey, male squirrel. Who needs a gas chromatograph
with her around ). So, any ideas on how to locate a hard to find smell?


Do you have a smellavision card for your computer? If you do, take
your USB smellavision detector, and capture the odor and upload it so
we can all take a whiff and decide what it is grin


probably not too long before you can do that! i'm waiting for
PC racing games to be able to generate smells like racing fuel
and burnt rubber .

I'm glad i saw this link... Just 2 mos ago we have the same "
smelly foot" odor in our guest bedroom & it sucks! I've
cleaned the walls and baseboards, etc.. It still stinks!!! If you
ever find out what it is, please, please, please let me know! We had
a mold inspector come to the house- he actually cut a hole in my wall
and pulled the baseboard off.. If I was home I would've smacked him-
but, my husband was here and let him... Anyway.... there was no
visible mold... We have an inspector coming to the house next week (
like the inspector who checks out a house before you buy it ) to
check the attic where our A/C is... if he finds something I'll tell
you about it, because it sounds like we have the same problem!