Emergency Service
Dead Animal Removal Australia
Alpha Pest Control removes dead possums, rats, mice and birds from roof voids, wall cavities, subfloors, chimneys and sheds. A technician traces the source of the smell, removes the animal, cleans and deodorises the area and shows you the gap it used to get in. Call 0480090776 or send a photo for a clear price before any work begins.
Quick answer
If you can smell a dead animal inside your home, it is most likely in the roof void, a wall cavity or the subfloor, and the smell ends only when the animal is removed. Do not touch it with bare hands, ventilate the area and call a pest controller. For bats and groups of dead birds, do not touch them at all and call the right service first.
What is dead animal removal?
Dead animal removal is the finding, removal and clean-up of an animal that has died inside or around a property, followed by treatment of the smell and advice on how it got in. Alpha Pest Control handles possums, rats, mice, birds and other small animals found in roof voids, wall cavities, subfloors, chimneys and sheds. The job has four parts. First, the source of the smell is traced, because odour travels along ceilings and through walls and often seems to come from a different room. Second, the animal is removed. Third, the area is cleaned and deodorised, since odour can stay in insulation, timber and plasterboard long after the animal is gone. Fourth, the entry point is identified so the next animal cannot get in the same way. Removing the animal is the only step that ends the smell, and the cleaning and sealing steps keep the problem from coming back.
Which dead animals do we remove?
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Possums
Roof voids, chimneys, wall cavities and sheds.
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Rats and mice
Wall cavities, ceilings, subfloors and under appliances.
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Birds
Roof spaces, vents, chimneys and eaves.
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Other small animals
Anything small that has died in or around a building.
For live possums, see our possum removal page. For rats and mice that are still active, see rodent control.
How do I know there is a dead animal in my house?
A sudden, strong smell that grows over a day or two is the clearest sign. Other signs include:
A sudden, strong smell that grows over a day or two- A smell that is stronger near a ceiling, wall or floor vent
- Flies or maggots gathering in one room or around a vent
- A dark stain spreading on a ceiling or wall
- Scratching or thumping that you heard a few days before the smell began
- A smell that gets worse on warm days
If you notice these, call before cutting into plasterboard or lifting floor sections yourself.
Where do animals die inside a home?
Animals die where they nest or get trapped, so the source is usually somewhere hard to see.
- Roof void, often under or among the insulation
- Wall cavities, after an animal gets in through a gap and cannot get out
- Subfloor and the space under the house
- Chimneys and flues
- Ducted heating or cooling vents
- Under decking, sheds and outbuildings
- Behind kitchen cupboards, appliances and bathroom panels
What should I do while I wait for removal?
Open windows and doors near the smell to let fresh air through, and keep people and animals away from the area. Do not touch the animal with bare hands, because dead animals can carry germs and parasites. Avoid air fresheners and sprays that only cover the odour, since they hide the problem without removing it. Note where the smell is strongest and when it began, and take a photo of any ceiling stain, gap at the eaves or the animal itself if it is in plain view. If the animal is small and easy to reach, wear gloves and a mask, seal it in a bag and place it in the outside bin, then wash your hands well. Do not cut into plasterboard or lift floor sections to look for it, because the animal is often a long way from where the smell seems strongest. A technician can trace the source with an inspection and remove the animal from places that are hard to reach.
How long does a dead animal smell last?
The smell from a dead animal often lasts from several days to a few weeks, depending on the size of the animal, the warmth of the space and how much air moves through it. A larger animal in a warm roof void in summer smells stronger and for longer than a small one in a cool subfloor in winter. Removing the animal is the only way to end the smell, and nothing sprayed into a ceiling or wall will do that. Once the animal is gone, odour can stay in insulation, timber and plasterboard for a few more days, so the area is cleaned and deodorised and the space is ventilated. If the smell is still strong a week after the animal has been removed, the source may be a second animal or soiled insulation that needs to be taken out. A follow-up check of the roof void or subfloor finds what is left behind.
Can a dead animal make people sick?
Dead animals can carry germs, bacteria and parasites, and flies that breed on the body can carry them into kitchens and other food areas. The risk is low if you stay away from the animal, but touching it with bare hands, or sweeping up droppings and fluids without protection, raises it. Keep people and animals out of the area until the animal is removed, ventilate the space, and wash your hands with soap and water after any contact with the area or with cleaning materials. Wear gloves and a mask if you must handle anything. Soiled insulation, stained plasterboard and fluids from the body are better left to a technician, who removes and cleans them as part of the job. If anyone becomes unwell after being exposed to a dead animal or its surroundings, they should speak to a doctor.
How does dead animal removal work with Alpha Pest Control?
- Call or send a photo: Tell us your suburb, where the smell is strongest and when it began. A photo of any ceiling stain, gap or the animal helps.
- Inspection: A technician checks the roof void, subfloor, wall cavities, chimney and outbuildings to trace the source.
- Clear price: You get a clear price after the inspection, before any removal begins.
- Removal: The animal is removed from where it died, including from places that need part of a lining or vent opened to reach it.
- Clean-up and deodorising: Soiled insulation and fluids are removed, the area is cleaned and deodorised, and the space is ventilated.
- Entry point advice: You are shown the gap or opening the animal used, so another one does not get in.
What affects the cost of dead animal removal?
The price depends on where the animal is, how hard it is to reach, how large it is and how much cleaning the area needs. Send a few photos or call, and you get a clear price after the inspection, before any removal begins.
| What changes the price | Smaller job | Bigger job |
| Where the animal is | Open subfloor or accessible roof void | Inside a wall cavity, chimney or ducted system |
| Size of the animal | Mouse or small bird | Possum or several animals |
| Access | Roof hatch or wide crawl space | Tight or low roof void, steep or high roof |
| Age of the smell | Found within a few days | Weeks old, with soiled insulation to remove |
| Clean-up needed | Surface clean and deodorise | Removing insulation or lining, treating stained areas |
| Entry point work | Advice on closing the gap | Sealing work at height or on a tiled roof |