When rodents infest your attic they have already hit the jackpot so to speak.
Rodent in attic and ducts.
Speaking of dead rodents in your vent a foul smell emanating from your ducts is another sign you might have an infestation.
When mice die in the heating and cooling ducts it can send a rank odor throughout a house.
The way most wildlife control operators or pest control companies remove these rodents from your ductwork is through manually inner in the ductwork from either the attic or the crawlspace and physically removing the animal with either a glue board or a control stick sometimes the rodent can be lured out of the duck work with a baited trap or other sent type of attractant but if the animal is in fact stuck the only way to get the animal out is to physically remove the animal from the duck work.
If mice have invaded your air ducts the following steps can help you end the problem.
Still the rodents will be looking to nest for extra protection and warmth.
You can also remove the vent covers and look inside your ducts.
Inspect the heating ductwork for holes.
First you will notice a significant mess around the ducting.
Heating and cooling ducts form the core of this rodent highway.
This odor indicates rodents have been urinating in your ducts.
Droppings chewed up materials in the area and bad smells indicate you have an infestation.
All kinds of critters including mice can enter through crawl spaces under buildings or even foundations on slabs.
Roof rats aka black rats often build nests in attics.
Because they need water daily they tend to nest where water is readily accessible.
This is where your precious attic insulation comes in.
Switch off your central heating and cooling system and let the grates reach room temperature.
If rodents are in your attic they will leave some telltale signs.
Once you discover you have a problem with rodents in your ductwork the issue may already be too far gone.
How to get rid of mice in heating ducts.
Special precautions need to be taken when the heating ventilation and air conditioning ducts become infested with mice.
Mice often use the dark corners of the home from fireplaces to exhaust vents to attics as their own personal transit system.
Insulation spray foams tapes and other synthetic seals or collars are not absolutely rodent proof either.
Cover these holes with duct tape.
Presumably your attic is dry and relatively protected from the elements that would otherwise bring in moisture.
Even if none of the pests have died and started decomposing you may smell a pungent odor.
The best way to get rid of rats and mice is to use the classic wooden snap traps or bait traps.