Basically, something died under my deck, cat, rabbit, racoon. I’m not sure what it is because there’s no way to get to it.
How long until the flies and smell go away? And is there any danger having this under the deck?
Basically, something died under my deck, cat, rabbit, racoon. I’m not sure what it is because there’s no way to get to it.
How long until the flies and smell go away? And is there any danger having this under the deck?
There's a constant source of clean water for you to use, and all you have to do is collect it.
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Replies
My neighbor had a ground hog die under her front porch, it too had limited access. We were able to get a bag of lime, and scatter it on the carcass...after it was well covered (whole bag was used), the smell went away, and nature finished the job.
Can you remove a board and gain access?
Good luck,
Rippy
Get off your lazy butt and remove it. LOL
The smell and flies will go with it.
Wop bop a loo bop a lop bam boom!
Get off your lazy butt and remove it. LOL
I would love to, but it would probably be over a half day project to get to it. If it's something that will go away in a short while, then I'm going to leave it. The deck is a little old and there's no way I could remove any planks without having to replace them completely. The area in question is also part of a house overhang, which I obviously can't remove. I also wouldn't even know where to start, I would probably have to take some off and then just keep going until I found it. Basically, it would a royal pain. I think I'm just going to leave it and hope something eats it for dinner soon.
Spend the time, man, since it's a small price to pay.
Even a squirrel will last long enough to get tired over and a full scale coon or woodchuck in that close of a proximety to your living space, phew, could even last a longer time, especially in the lingering aroma after the intial gag reflex strength diminishes.
Gotta bite the bullet and go do it.
You'll be glad you did and saddened that you didn't.
'Nemo me impune lacesset'No one will provoke me with impunity
A half day or day job to do it v. 3 weeks of atrocious smell. Hmmmmmm.
I had a rat die under my kitchen once, shoulda tackled it rightaway because that smell was b a d d. You're right, it'll eventually go away, but you've got to fix it so it doesn't happen again. Like when you're entertaining guests.
Well then I guess you have convinced yourself you can live with the stink. I wouldn't.
Wop bop a loo bop a lop bam boom!
what it is because there's no way to get to it.
Ah, the joys of blind or hidden fasteners <g>
How long until the flies and smell go away? And is there any danger having this under the deck?
That depends. Now that you are "sensitized," your ability to percieve the aroma may exceed what might otherwise be expected. Or not, human senses can be wierd that way. Flies ought to be done in a couple of days, at least until the new crop hatches.
Risks vary, too. Flies will be a slight problem, mostly from "dirty" feet--but, realisitically, their feet will not be any dirtier than at any other time. Next risk would be from scavengers tussling over the carcass. There, the risk is in that they will make more of a mess; or in the tussling, bang into something under the deck.
If it's a real botheration, you could check with Animal Control. They might tell you to not worry, or they might send someone over to go look. Looking may not help much, not if the deck needs prying up to get underneath (it might not, depending on the skill, experience, motivation of the AC employee, too).
Don't worry, the smell will go away in 6 months or so.
The smell could last for weeks. Is there any way you can pull up some of the decking or such to get to it? Kinda hard to find anything on the grill apetizing when there is the reek of a decomposing animal under the deck.
Sounds like you need some lattice or screen to keep the critters out too.
jt8
"If a woman has to choose between catching a fly ball and saving an infant's life, she will choose to save the infant's life without even considering if there are men on base." -- Dave Barry
Lattice or screen will do zip in terms of keeping critters out.
If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. --James Madison
Lattice or screen will do zip in terms of keeping critters out.
Depends on where you buy it. I buy mine at the Farm & Home store.jt8
"If a woman has to choose between catching a fly ball and saving an infant's life, she will choose to save the infant's life without even considering if there are men on base." -- Dave Barry
Any sort of lattice the critters will eat through. Likewise any screen with smaller than about #16 wire. If you want to seal it off you need hardware cloth.
If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. --James Madison
I'm not talking about nylon or aluminum screen that you use on windows. The farm store has a variety of screens, mesh, wire, etc that most animals will have difficulty getting through. I have NO idea what gauge wire they're made out of, but they're very good at keeping animals in or out (depending on what your goal is) because that is what they are designed to do.
The exception is that mice or small snakes might still get in (depending on what you use), but larger animals typically won't.
Although I'm assuming we're talking about coons, possums, etc, not grizzly bears or elephants.
jt8
"If a woman has to choose between catching a fly ball and saving an infant's life, she will choose to save the infant's life without even considering if there are men on base." -- Dave Barry
Yeah, that would be hardware cloth, for the "screen" with holes 1/4" to 1" across. Stuff that's a little more like fencing is sometimes called "garden fence", and one or two other names I can't think of right now.
If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. --James Madison
You can also use "chicken wire" (with the six-sided holes), but you have to use the heavy-weight stuff -- varments can eat through the lightweight stuff.
If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. --James Madison
Now you're talking my language. Chicken wire, rabbit wire, etc, etc, etc. Some of those farm stores carry a dizzying array of different ones. I'm usually not impressed with the offerings in the garden section of the home stores.
jt8
"If a woman has to choose between catching a fly ball and saving an infant's life, she will choose to save the infant's life without even considering if there are men on base." -- Dave Barry
Edited 4/14/2006 4:48 pm by JohnT8
MMM , better you than me . <G>
There was an amadillo that died at the cabin and since it was the cabin and we werent there very much I didnt remove it . Trouble of it was our dog kept telling us that it lasted for 6 weeks or better . Many baths at the cabin that dog got till finally he was jailed for that charge. That finally ended the probem.
Try a an extension paint handle and tape a hook to it . That way you can carry in such as 6 feet of pole and then extend it to 12, etc. I keep a few for just jobs. One is 5 ft just pole with a heavy hook inside an oak handle that will hook large catfish standing up in the boat.
A country boy will survive.
Tim
No danger, just stink. Had a possum crawl into the shop and hide under a lumber rack and croak. Started smelling. Couldn't figure where it was coming from for a couple of weeks. Saw some fluid running out from the rack and moved all the ply off. Damn thing had liquified. Picked it up and scattered sawdust to soak up the "gravy." Mopped with straight Lysol. Finally went away. Couple of sheets of Maple ply smelled bad until I made cabs and painted'em...
6 months or so...
ask rez about this one... he the one with all the experience...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
cu invented odor
'Nemo me impune lacesset'No one will provoke me with impunity
OK ... first ...
yer gonna need a buzzard.
or a hyena ...
then ....
Jeff
Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
Just get the garden hose up under there and hose it down.
We spend zillions on smart bombs.....how about spending zillions on creating smart kids? ~jjwalters
Ohh great then you've got wet fur smell on top of the other stench.
Wop bop a loo bop a lop bam boom!
ShhhhhThe difference between dead and dead-wet is worlds of stink.I just figured that if I could get him to get it wet, then he'd stop vacilating, and get the plain -ol- dead out from under his porch...;o)
We spend zillions on smart bombs.....how about spending zillions on creating smart kids?
~jjwalters
bunny - well, maybe you could outwait it - maybe a small one...
ya better go after it, and the sooner the better - nasty work, but it gets worse when the carcass is full of maggots and liquification sets in -
gee - it was justa year ago a friend had a groundhog (small one) get under his house and up a stud cavity and started chewing thru a cedar board ceiling - he freaked out and shot it with a .22 - wounded it good - it crawled to the most inaccesable dead space above the ceiling of the kitchen - and started to stink - stinkin' real good when he finally called me and owned up - nasty work -
get after it -
"there's enough for everyone"
Dead raccoon dead center out in the yellow median at my place. If it's on my side I always go bury the things. On the other side let the neighbor do the deal.
I'd grabbed the last possum or so, so I figured I'd let it sit a while thinking the neighbor'd take a turn.
After a couple days it was gone. Fine, one less thing to deal with.
Last couple days I'd been noticing a chemical stench in the air. Like when a farmer is spraying an insectide or something.
Doing the spring cleaning of the acumulated winter trash in the ditch out front and what do I discover but that d*mn dead coon, stink just a step away from gag, and flies.
Can't blame the neighbor 'cause I didn't see him move it, ut never heard of a dead raccoon moving under it's own power.
Sure hope JM takes the advice and moves the thing 'cause it ain't worth sitting on it.
cu invented raccoon stew
'Nemo me impune lacesset'No one will provoke me with impunity
Around here it'd be the plow that dun it.
If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. --James Madison
LOL You got a point.
Wop bop a loo bop a lop bam boom!
I have worked in flood areas after the fact, and had dead bodies all around. Including people.But the absolute worst stink I have ever had to deal with was a dead cat in a ditch. Cat was half covered with water.I couldn't get within 15 feet of that thing without retching. After my stomach was empty, I was finally able to get close enough to snag it with a shovel and bury it...
We spend zillions on smart bombs.....how about spending zillions on creating smart kids?
~jjwalters
Thanks. I think I'll go throw my snack away now. LOL
Wop bop a loo bop a lop bam boom!
Edited 4/14/2006 11:01 pm ET by Gunner
Update:
I listened to (and actually followed) everyone's advice. I was able to get to the animal by just taking off a small set of steps and digging out some dirt.
It was a possum. From the amount of animal still remaining, I figure it was going to stink for a longggg time.
Well, I'm off to the local forest preserve to make a deposit.
thanks,Joe“The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.” – Albert Einstein
Worst stink I ever smelt was when we had the septic tank sucking out fella come round.
He popped the lid off and UUUUUUUGGGHHHHHH
That first wave was a doozy. wasnt too bad after that.
Not an exponent of the DILLIGAF system.
and here at times you were trying to tell us thad yur "stuff" didn't stink...Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!<!----><!---->
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!