Thread: I smell a rat

Seven year vacant home

Similar Threads:

• Sewer gas smell in home.
• What's that smell?
• Whats that smell!
• for that earthy smell...
• Bad Smell

Correction: That home was not vacant for seven years. It was occupied by mice the entire time!

More like the infamous Norway rat by the looks of those blunt ended turds. You can also see the oil or rub marks around the opening the varmit has created.

rick

Rick

There were no less than 6 almost perfect round holes in the fascia of the home and countless holes in the drywall of the home. Every drawer, closet, HVAC closet in the home had nice little rags, pecans and rat turds. The attic wires need extensive repair throughout the attic.

Ted,

You want to show the client how bad things are with the rodent problem do this.

Turn out all the lights as much as possible or close off a few doors to a room to darken it as much as possible.

Pull out one of those black light fixtures and plug it in.

You'll see what appears to be yellow-greenish streaks all across the floors and surfaces.

This is where the little varmit is urinating as he is running through the home.

They do make some flashlights that are used by PCO's for this purpose.

rick

Originally Posted by Ted Menelly

The attic wires need extensive repair throughout the attic.

Ted,

You mean "extensive re-wiring", right? You don't "repair" something like that.

Yeah, re-wiring

I actually put my hand on a chewed wire. Thank god the breaker was already tripped. I'd still be in the attic now and would not have made to my next inspection or tomorrow.

The bad part is they have been all through the walls. God knows what they did in there.

That whole house would need "extensive repair' or better yet, a bull dozer.
I can't imagine every making that house livable.

56 years old, If it were not for the rats it is actually a nicer looking older home with a solid foundation, dry crawl, solid roof, Great old windows in fantastic condition, a water heater and HVAC system installed 7 years ago just before the folks passed and great wood work.

You know, there was no insect in the home but a handful of spiders. No roaches, ants, termites wasps, nothing. I guess the rats ate them all.

I can inspect with rats. Just those stinking brown recluse and black widows wig me out, well roaches I cannot do as well. There is no God given reason for any insect to be crawling on me.

I actually laughed out loud at myself yesterday for the way I jumped when a little mouse fan out from behind the dishwasher I was inspecting.
I don't like any thing that moves when I am inspecting, snakes, spiders, rats, all are on my list of least favorite things.