Pest Control
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Finding a dead animal is unpleasant, and it is not always obvious whose job it is to deal with it. The answer depends on where it is and what it is. Here is how to handle the common situations safely, and who to contact for each.
On a road or public land
Dead animals on public roads and pavements, such as foxes, badgers, deer and cats, are normally removed by the local council, which you can report to online or by phone. On motorways and major trunk roads, the highways authority is responsible. Do not stop on a busy road to move an animal yourself.
In your garden
On private land, removing a dead animal is usually the owner's responsibility. Small animals such as birds, rats or mice can be bagged and put in your general waste bin. Many councils will collect larger animals, sometimes for a fee, so check with yours.
If it is a cat or dog, it may be someone's pet. A vet can check for a microchip so the owner can be told. Some councils do this for animals they collect from the road.
For dead wild birds, check the current government guidance on bird flu before you handle them. Certain species, or several dead birds found together, should be reported rather than disposed of.
Handling a carcass safely
Dead animals can carry bacteria and parasites, and a carcass that has been there a while attracts flies. If you are dealing with a small animal yourself:
- wear disposable or rubber gloves, and keep children and pets away
- pick it up inside a plastic bag, turn the bag inside out over it, tie it, and put it inside a second bag
- put it in your outside bin, not a compost bin
- disinfect the surface it was on, and wash your hands thoroughly afterwards
Do not bury animals that may have been poisoned, as other animals can dig them up.
Inside the house or a building
Animals that die indoors are usually out of sight: a rat or mouse in a wall cavity, under floorboards or in the loft, or a bird that has fallen into a chimney. You notice the smell, or a sudden cluster of bluebottles at a window in one room, before you find anything.
These are the cases where specialist help is worth having. Finding a carcass in a void without pulling up floors or cutting into walls needs knowledge of how the building is put together and where animals tend to end up. Our guide to dealing with dead rodents explains what the smell means and how long it lasts.
A dead rodent indoors is also a sign that there may be live ones. The carcass is only part of the job. The infestation and the way in need dealing with too.
Wildlife and the law
Finding a dead wild animal does not usually raise any legal issue in itself. Badgers and their setts, bats and their roosts, and wild birds and their active nests are all protected by law, so if a dead animal suggests one of these is living in or near your property, take advice before disturbing anything.
When to call us
Call us if you can smell something dead but cannot find it, if flies have appeared suddenly in one room, or if you find a dead rat or mouse and want to know whether there are more. We trace and remove the carcass where it can be reached without unnecessary damage, disinfect the area and deal with any infestation behind it. Get in touch or call 01926 632 929.