Let's start with the damn critters, shall we?
Saturday morning before we headed north Rick went out to the garage.
(it's that door that is open in the photo)
I saw Rick look at something behind the air conditioner as he was headed inside.
Before I could ask what he was doing he came in and announced that he we have a baby possum on the deck. Since I refer to Rick as critter boy, he would know.
You see, I am a city girl who does not know her critters, don't even care to thank you very much. But Rick knows his critters and if there is a jeopardy category with animals he never misses a thing. He also grew up in the country and loves his animals. Me, not so much. Don't want them harmed, but sure don't want them in my home or around it either. Rick laughs at this city girl, but even this was too close for him.
Now here is a photo of our patio from a couple years ago to explain what I am going to refer to.
Okay, Rick saw that the possum ran down between the fences.(on left)
On either fence is someone else's patio. The man to the left has a full deck as we do with the exception of about 3 feet from the garage door. The man to the right has a patio but his is made of concrete.
Rick sprayed something at the possum and saw it go down the fence line.
He played around out there but we had to leave and he couldn't see where it went. So off to PA we go. I had the heeby-jeebies.
We returned from PA at 5ish yesterday.
We were gone a bit more than 24 hrs.
I picked up the mail and after going through it I took the papers and magazines to the recycle bin just outside the back door to the left. I opened the door and it smelled so damn foul. I immediately closed it and yelled for Rick. I said I saw something behind the air conditioning unit, something small can you look. (Thankfully I was not wearing any glasses)
It was 2 small baby birds that were dead. So he put on his gloves, picked them up and put them into a baggie and into the garbage. I thought that was the smell.
Oh no, that would be too easy.
There was a birds nest being built on top of our dryer vent on the back of the house. We have 3 vents on the back of the house. 2 of them have been blocked by these cages. One was not so that is where they built the nest. I wonder if the poor birds fell out of the nest and died. Or did that possum get them? Just gross.
Apparently, while we were gone it was ungodly hot and humid - 90's with the same humidity. Thankfully we were north where it was only 72-75.
Today we are figuring that damn possum died under the deck. We can't get to it to remove it without ripping up the complete deck. Rick did speak to the pest control company but they said the same thing. Then the man said, "well with this heat it should be over soon. The animal will dry out quicker" Eeeww!!!!!!!!
So from never ever even having a mouse to having a mouse, a possum, and a couple of dead birds. What in the hell is happening at my home?
I feel like I'm in a horror movie. We won't be having dinner on the deck anytime soon. Or sitting out there for that matter. The smell is so damn foul and I don't know how to get rid of it. We asked the exterminator and his answer was 'time'.
Great. I can't go outside on my deck for fear of God knows what along with a horrific smell.
What would happen if I lived in the country for God's sake?
Oh please don't tell me that was rhetorical.
10 comments:
Oh gosh, can't you rip just one part of the patio to see where it is and maybe pull it out? I couldn't live in the country too, but mostly for the bugs, eww. I live in town but I have screens on every window, go figure.
You sure are coming up with interesting problems lately. LOL Lesson learned, I guess, don't spread possums when they can crawl under decks and die.
Building a deck you can't get under is like dry-walling a basement ceiling you can't get into. Access is everything when it comes to home maintenance.
I have had a possum in my house more than once.
After this incident and then This one, we found out where the little bastard was getting in and fixed it.
Then, for the next few weeks, I found possum shit in some really odd places in my house. Including under the nightstand on my side of the bed. Along with a little pile of chewed up tissues and a couple munched on earplugs. Yum.
But hey, at least he didn't die in here.
I think you should visit a hotel until the smell is gone. Get room service. Massage. Check out the pool boy.
Mike - we can get to it - we just have to remove all the boards until we find him. Wanna come help with that?
Ami, pool boy, massage and room service sound damn fine to me.
Jean - I think you meant spray - at least that is how I read it. :-) You are correct.
Alessandra - Never go without screens. I hate bugs and creepy crawly things. I am a city girl living in the burbs.
hahhahaaha ok I won't tell you
You can donate your patio furniture to me until the smell is gone. I promise it'll be put to good use! (Also, ew. Total heebie jeebies now.)
Arnebya - you'd have to come fetch it. I'll feed you but we'll eat inside and of course, there are cocktails to be had - but inside. :-)
Hey, I thought someone else's possum horror story would be worth mentioning here... at least you were smart enough not to light everything on fire... http://katu.com/news/offbeat/fire-set-to-scare-off-opossums-destroys-mans-wooden-house
Ami, oh my God that made me laugh. I needed that Ami. Thank you.
The last line, "he had bees too" cracked me up.
What an ass. The smell is gone, the mice are gone. All is okay on our patio.
Without even setting fire. :-)
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