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Help needed to locate dead animals in log walls and identify new crawlspace insulation
Help needed to locate dead animals in log walls and identify new crawlspace insulation (post #194426)
In the past month mice have taken over our rural ranch loghouse and infested the insulation (9" loose batts) in the floor joists. I have removed most of the contaminated insulation. Rodent entries have been sealed with chink material, foam and caulking but I need help deodorizing the crawlspace and identifying a new insulation material that doesn't serve as a perfect nesting material for the critters. Over time the loose batts sag at the top and act as a rowhouse (the length of the joist cavity) for the mice. I've considered foam but sooner or later I'll need to service or upgrade electrical, water and waste lines and this doesn't seem to be the answer.
The animal smell has permeated the joists and floor deck is atrocious, especially in one corner area and I believe the critters located a cavity in a perimeter corner where logs instersect and tie together. There must be a nest or dead animals here but I have no way of locating the exact location other to start demoing from the gound up. Even with sealing every crack and space the smell persists. Any suggestions other than to start the chainsaw ?
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The good news is that the (post #194426, reply #1 of 1)
The good news is that the smell will abate over time. The bad news is that it may take 6-12 months.
We are like tenant farmers chopping down the fence around our house for fuel when we should be using Nature's inexhaustible sources of energy -- sun, wind and tide. ... I'd put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don't have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle that. --Thomas Edison