For the past few weeks thereâÂÂs been something living in my attic. The smell was what caught me first. It was a sweet skunky smell. I called a wildlife biologist who came out and gave the attic and house a look. He found feces in the attic that heâÂÂd never seen before. He ruled out bat initially, but his supervisor said it was after looking at pictures (they werenâÂÂt pellets). He cleaned, disinfected and deodorized the attic and removed contaminated insulation to the tune of about $325. He said the house was completely sealed, with the exception of some can lights on the patios, which I promptly fitted with covers.

A few days later the smell in my office was overwhelming to the point that it made my eyes water. I called the guy back. He investigated where IâÂÂd heard the sounds above my attic the previous morning, but found nothing but feces. He cleaned and deodorized the area, and removed contaminated insulation. He also put down glue traps.

So for the past week I thought things were getting betterâ¦that the bat (or whatever) had died, and the smell in the house (laundry room & garage now) was just residual.

This morning, while sitting in my office, I heard scratching above the ceiling. It sounded like gnawing or scratching, not scampering around. I called the wildlife biologist, who will be coming out either this afternoon or tomorrow to give it another go.

I live in central Texas, about 20 miles outside San Antonio. I have no mature trees near the house, and canâÂÂt imagine what the heck is up there other than a bat or a mouse/rat.

IâÂÂm at my witâÂÂs end at this point, so much so that IâÂÂm on the verge of paying someone to remove every inch of blown-in insulation, kill whateverâÂÂs up there, and put down batted insulation (which is easier to search for critters).

Anywayâ¦IâÂÂll post the conclusion when this is all over and done with so others might benefit.