You know you have a dead animal when a sewer-like decaying smell gets worse every day. The hardest part of removing a dead animal from underneath your floor is to find the critter without tearing apart your belly and removing all the insulation. By knowing a few tricks you should be able to locate and remove the dead critter with very minimal damage to the belly.

Critters tend to move into warmer areas when the weather outside gets cold. So the first line of defense before Fall gets here, is to be sure your skirting is solid with no holes and that your underbelly has no tears or gaps around pipes. But despite the best intentions, an occasional mouse or cat still seems to be inevitable.

The first step to finding the darn critter is to narrow down in which part of the home the smell is strongest. Smell underneath your cupboards and down your floor registers. Once you’ve located the area of the strongest smell, it’s time to take a trip underneath your home. Before crawling underneath, line-up the following tools and materials. Carry them in a little box to minimize the number of trips because you forgot something.

1) Flashlight or work light
2) Extension cord
3) Belly tape
4) Utility knife
5) Heat gun
6) Insulation
7) Damp rag
8) Periscope with light on top

Yes, you read #8 right. A periscope with a light on top is the biggest secret to searching inside your belly without cutting a giant hole. Periscopes can be found in some toy departments oan army surplus store. The periscope pictured here is from an army tank and can be occasionally found listed on various online auction sites for $30-$40. This periscope is particular suited to the job because of the wide, clear prism. It’s also very durable.

If you don’t have a periscope or can’t find one, don’t fret. A flashlight and mirror can give you the same results.

Steps to Find and Remove Dead Rodents