How Do You Get Rid of a Dead Mouse Smell? | Information and Control Guide

There are numerous consequences of rodent infestation. One of them is the terrible smell of a dead mouse. The worst scenario is that it sticks throughout the entire house.

How do you get rid of a dead mouse smell? To get rid of a dead mouse smell, you need gloves, goggles, a plastic bag, and disinfectant or bleach. You must open your house for ventilation. Put an electric fan near the open window or door for quick elimination of undesirable weather.

Do these things with no delay. However, the search for the dead body takes a lot of time, and the smell can’t just disappear after the disposal of dead mice.

You’ll have to know further details to completely get rid of the smell. This article will reveal important information so you can do what you need to do with ease.

What Do Dead Mice Smell Like?

It starts as a rancid sulfuric smell which is bothersome since it’s uncommon to a household. It will turn into a stomach-churning odor that pesters your nose every morning.

You’ll think that it’s rotten cabbage, but it’s a decaying smell that gets stronger over time. 

The dead mice smell turns into a combination of sulfur dioxide, hydrocarbons, methane, ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, pyruvic acid, and other chemicals. As the decomposition progresses, it smells like spoiled or rotten food.

Do Dead Mice Smell Like Garbage?

Dead mice do smell like garbage. Some people think that a dead mouse is a rotten cabbage. A dead mouse and garbage are both decaying matter.

Do Dead Mice Smell Like Gas?

Dead mice do smell like gas. To be specific, it smells like a bunch of toxic gas.

Do Dead Mice Smell Like Cat Urine?

Dead mice smell like cat urine. A dead mouse smell can also be described as a distinct ammonia smell that is similar to a cat’s urine.

Are Dead Mice Dangerous?

When alive, mice are known as direct and indirect carriers of some diseases. There’s no difference when they’re dead.

The decomposing carcasses are the sources of pathogenic bacteria and unhealthy, airborne agents. These things can easily find their way to your skin, digestive system, and lungs as you can breathe them in.

The waste of the dead mice can hold viruses that thrive in the open air. Also, there are maggots inside the decomposing body of the dead mice, and they are unquestionably a health hazard to humans.

In connection with this, Hudson Valley Community College promotes a study entitled ‘Animal Carcass Handling Safety Procedures’. This study confirms the harm that animal carcasses like dead mice can bring.

How Long Do Dead Mice Smell?

If you don’t do anything about it, the dead mice smell can last for a week or more. The duration of foul smell depends on the following factors:

• The size of the mouse or mice

• Temperature and humidity of the area where the dead body lays

• Access to decomposers

Does One Dead Mouse Mean More?

Finding one dead mouse means more of them are in your house. Know that these small critters have an alarming reproduction rate since they can procreate all year round. A female can give birth ten times a year, and each litter has five to eight babies.

It will only take three weeks for the offspring to be born. In a matter of six to eight weeks, they’re sexually mature to reproduce. That’s why maintaining a mouse colony in laboratories is easy.

Can Mice Smell Dead Mice?

Mice can smell dead mice, and they see it as a threat.

Can Cats Smell Dead Mice?

Cats have an excellent sense of smell, so there’s no doubt that they can smell dead mice.

Do Mice Die When Trapped?

Mice do die when trapped. Dead mice are usually found under the furniture, around pipes, behind the fridge, in the attic, etc. That’s why it is easier for us to trap them and for them to die.

How to Get Rid of Dead Mice Smell?

After successfully discarding the dead body of the mice, the unpleasant smell still lingers in your house or some parts of it. Aside from focusing on suspected areas, here are some ways to help you get rid of the smell for good:

1. Ventilation – Open the windows and doors of your house for air ventilation.

2. Sanitize surfaces – Deep cleaning is done by disinfecting and polishing all surfaces.

3. Deodorizing – It’s also necessary to treat upholsteries, carpets, and curtains with an odor eliminator spray  with a safe formula.

4. Using odor-removing bags – Earth care bags  is great for the environment even though they’re not capable of hiding the bad odor.

But they can keep negative charges that are harmful to humans. Another good option is the Natural Bamboo deodorizer bag .

5. Odor remover – You may have an air purifier at home, but when dealing with dead mice smell, it’s best to get an efficient odor remover.

It can be the plug-in or standing type, as long as it has a HEPA filter device  or carbon-activated filter . This feature ensures that an odor remover can eliminate bad odors.

6. Using ground coffee  as a deodorizer – Place ground coffee in suspected areas as it’s an effective deodorizer.

7. Lighting incense sticks  – Continue to light incense sticks for a few days until the odor is gone.

8. Baking cookies – You won’t think about it, but the aroma when baking cookies can beat the foul-smelling dead mice.

Steps to Get Rid of the Dead Mice Smell

Here are the necessary steps to follow:

Step 1: Prepare the materials. You need gloves, goggles, a plastic bag , and disinfectant  or .

Step 2: Wear gloves and goggles for protection from contamination and possible diseases

Step 3: Make a mixture of 10% bleach or disinfectant and 90% water. Then, spray the mixture or disinfectant on the dead mouse and the surrounding area.

Step 4: Next, place the dead body in a plastic bag, including the rodents’ nesting sites and droppings if there are any.

Step 5: Close the bag properly without pushing extra air outside so you won’t release the virus into the air.

Step 6: You can segregate the bag from recyclable and non-biodegradable trash before throwing it into the garbage can.

Step 7: Don’t remove the gloves from your hands. Wash them instead with soap and water before disposal.

Step 8: Wash your bare hands with soap and water. Then, spray them with disinfectant.

How to Get Rid of Dead Mice on Smell on Walls?

When the dead mice are on the walls, the only goal is to eliminate the unpleasant odor coming from them. You don’t need to rip your walls apart, as the smell can just vanish.

It happens quicker if you mask it by using deodorizers like coffee grounds, charcoal deodorizer bags, and . An air ionizer machine  is also a good investment in eliminating unpleasant odors.

Does the Smell of Dead Mice Attract More Mice?

The smell of dead mice doesn’t attract more mice since they think of it as a threat. So, they stay away from the location where the dead body lies as they think of it as a danger zone or the cause of death.

Will Mice Eat Dead Mice?

Mice eat dead mice because they are scavengers. Instead of putting the dead body into waste, it becomes a part of their protein intake. This case usually happens in winter because of food scarcity.

How to Locate a Dead Mouse in Your Home?

You may be in a situation where the stench from a dead mouse unceasingly bothers your nose, but you can’t still find the body. Here are some signs to guide you:

• The print of tiny paws will likely be found on wall edges.

• You can follow their track through tiny droppings that are sometimes formed into a cluster.

• Streaks on kitchen countertops and wall edges.

If there’s no physical evidence, you need to search furthermore with your nose. When these techniques fail, you can start looking in cramped areas like wall cavities, air ducts, and attics.

Do Mice Play Dead?

Mice are smart to sense danger, so they play dead until it passes.

List of Sources

Animal Carcass Handling Safety Procedures. Hudson Valley Community College.

Breeding Strategies for Maintaining Colonies of Laboratory Mice. (2007). The Jackson Laboratory.

Rodents. (2010). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.