It wasn’t spoiled food.
It wasn’t something that had been forgotten in a cupboard.
It was coming from inside the structure of the home.
How Could Animals Get Inside a Wall?
While the discovery sounds extraordinary, the basic situation is not impossible.
Homes can contain surprisingly large numbers of small openings.
Rodents can enter through gaps around pipes, vents, rooflines, foundations and other openings. Once inside, they may move through wall cavities, attics and other concealed areas.
The problem is that these spaces can become traps.
An animal may enter through one opening but be unable to find its way back out. If it dies inside the wall, decomposition can eventually create a powerful odor.
And because the homeowner cannot see what is happening, the smell may seem mysterious.
This is one reason pest-control professionals sometimes have to investigate areas that homeowners would never normally consider.
A strange odor can occasionally be one of the first signs that something is happening behind the scenes.
