As they start to decay, a dead animal will start to let off a very foul-smelling odor which will be incredibly unpleasant and can easily spread throughout your home.  As well as this, the corpse will start to attract flies, maggots, and cockroaches which will also need removing and make the experience of handling the body even more horrible. There are many wildlife services that will safely and efficiently remove the animal for you, but if you need to do it yourself you will first need to make sure you have sufficient protective equipment on hand. This means gloves, goggles, and a suitable face mask so that you do not come into contact with the animal at any stage of the removal, either by touch or by breathing in.

Once you have cleared the animal, do a deep clean of the attic, especially where the body was, with disinfectants to kill off any pathogens that might be leftover. Lingering odors can be dealt with using deodorants or increasing ventilation.

Before disposing of the dead animal, however, be sure to first check your state’s laws regarding the removal of carcasses. There are strict rules on how and where you must remove dead animal bodies, and these can vary by different states. For example, you can never dispose of it near bodies of water to avoid contaminating it.