OK. Here is something different. Not exactly about an investment, but still property related.
I am corrently working as a carpenter on a huge house (90squares) worth heaps (ie several million $). It is a weekender/ holiday house for the owners – yes, they must be very cashed up.
For quite a while over the last few months we noticed possum droppings on the floor each morning and decided Mr Possum must have moved into the ceiling ducts. We hoped he would move out again. He didn’t.
About 2 weeks ago we all noticed a very bad smell.[sick3] Mr Possum has passed away, and boy does he stink!
We have looked around in the ceiling as much as we can, but to no avail.
So any great ideas on how to find and remove the possum and/or the smell before the owners move in about May?
You might get me promoted if you can help with this one!!
Cheers
dougiejgI reckon if you chucked my little Jack Russell up there, she’d find it in about 2 minutes flat.
Have you managed to sit down and have a chat with the Owners and pick their brains a bit ???
The Jack Russell might work.
I havene’t talked to owner. I just work there, so it’s really up to the supervisor. The owner did visit the other day, but I did not hear if she commented on the smell. She doesn’t usually say much anyway. Just has a look around, asks a couple of questions and goes again. I think she gives all her comments to the Architect. Then he gives us a few more alterations to do, but no time extensions to go with the alterations. Grrrrrr…..[angry2]He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. – Jim Elliot
Wait a couple more days and the blowflies will lead you there.
Derek
[email protected]
http://www.pis.theinvestorsclub.com.au
0409 882 958wait a couple of weeks, and the only think left will be bones…no smell
We had a rat die in the wall cavity near our bedroom. Pretty bad for a few weeks, and for a few months afterwards when we got a really hot day (Brisbane) there was a bit of a smell. By May there should (as hb said) only be bones and no smell.
We also had a possum die in our roof and there was a smell when we turned on the ducted air, a slightly odd sweet smell. It was not nearly as bad as the rat.
Time heals all wounds, and most smells.
Wylie.
Originally posted by Dougiejg:So any great ideas on how to find and remove the possum and/or the smell before the owners move in about May?
Hi Doug,
If you are the junior do you want to find it?
Guess who will be required to remove it.[biggrin]
Derek
[email protected]
http://www.pis.theinvestorsclub.com.au
0409 882 958I’ve had the same problem in the past with a rat. Block your nose and watch the flys. They’ll swarm to a dead carcase but by then it will be partly decomposed. Very messy
Amanda
“It is better to be inconspicuously wealthy, than to be ostentatiously poor…”Thanks all for the comments.
“Wait and see” is probably what we will do. Its already been over 2 weeks and that is what we have done so far. We might also put some sort of air freshener through the air con system before handover.
Anyway, never a shortage of problems for builders to solve.
What does McKnight say? “Problem + Solution =Profit”
I wonder how I profit from a dead possum?…..He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. – Jim Elliot
Hi, We have had on-going problems with rats deceasing in the ceiling space above our home office. Lovely (not!) to work with.
Yes the blow flies will definitely give you a clue as to its whereabouts, but if you still have no luck (removing dripping maggotty carcases is not my idea of fun) rest assured as the others have said , that by May the smell will have long gone. Unless any of his relatives come to pay their last respects…..By the way, we called a pest company that had baited our ceiling to ask if they could remove the aformentioned deceased. To be advised their job was to “kill ’em” not to remove ’em. They do however provide a carcase removal and deodorising service (approx $70) which your owners should presumably pay.
Good luck
My office smells sweet today.
jebro
hi Dougiejg
this is not a funny matter I had second addition put on a single storey house and the possum died in between the two floors at the enrty to the house any way the paint would not stick to the plasterboard sealing at the front so the very bright painter tried to clean the gyprock and in doing so and a whole about the size of a 5cent piece and guess what yes it came down gyprock,pee and dead possum and they make a real mess.
and next door had a possum fight, now that a thing to hear in a roof they called the police at 3 in the morning thinking that a gang was trying to rip the roof off as the possums broke tiles in the fight.
they can be very violent if confronted and there claws can make very large deep cuts I had one that struck its claw threw the plastic of one of those 40 litre plastic bins before I threw him and the bin into the garden and then he went next door ( he was one of the fighters)here to help
If you want to get involved in some of the projects I’m involved in email to [email protected]Thanks again all for replies.
Good news is the smell is starting to fade.
I am wondering now if the first time they turn on the air-con system whether a big puff of possum hair will blow out one of the vents. That could really cause laughs.
By the way, heard a trick to make possums relocate. If they live in your roof, sneak next door and smear peanut butter on their tree. A bloke at work said he did it and the possum moved to the neighbors. Then the neighbor was telling him about this possum that had suddenly moved in, so he told her to peanut butter the next house along. Worked a treat apparently. But only if you don’t like your neighbors.[biggrin]He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. – Jim Elliot
What about using a ferret with a collar and string attached . They eat this sort of thing and probalby will clean up a body and leave only the bones.
Read this in a book – Ferrets eat rats, road kill, rabbits , chickens, ect
I haven’t tried this but I know the book recommended feeding road kill to ferrets.Hi Folks
We regularly get rats dying under the floor. And occasionally possums dying the same. They get into the roof, then walk down the cavity, drop off into the under floor space, then can’t get up again. And we can’t get down there either.
The smell from dead rats becomes bearable in about 2 weeks and disappears in another 2 weeks. For possums read 6 weeks and 3 weeks. The hotter the weather, the quicker the carcase disintegrates but the fouler the smell in the meantime.
You should be right by May if the warm weather continues.
Margaret
Rats, rodents and roadkill for ferrets. 6 weeks of of stinking possum. What a thread!!! Hooray for propertyinvesting.com!!!
He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. – Jim Elliot
Well possums and rats and roadkill are light compared with termites who eat the house!!!
This is a nice thread.DD
Buyers Agent (Dip Financial Services(FP)
Don’t sweat the small stuff,and it’s all small stuff!!
You must be logged in to reply to this topic. If you don't have an account, you can register here.
