To want to get pest control in because of potential dead thing behind a kitchen cabinet...

[OhWhatAPalaver]

We had a funny smell when we opened one of our kitchen cupboards recently. Coiincentally we also had a gas leak coming from the cooker, which is now fixed so hoped that would have sorted it but it didn't. Still have the smell and now disgusting huge flies in the kitchen. Killed about ten last night and now there's another ten or so in there. Partner out to buy fly spray but am thinking we might need to have the thing removed as we go away on Friday. Partner thinks I'm being daft and it will just decompose and then no more flies. I am disgusted by them and want them gone ASAP. I also don't want a smelly cupboard anymore! It's hard to tell if it's in the just behind/under the cupboard or in the wall though so if we get pest control in to rip out the kick boards or cupboard it might be pointless anyway. Argh!!

Can't you or your partner remove the kick boards and have a look?

Yes it’s a dead rodent, the flies are the giveaway. I’d probably get the professionals in. I had mice at the start of the year and dealt with it myself for a few weeks then got someone in

🤢I’d definitely have a look or get someone in before you go away. It’s either rotting food or a dead mouse or something neither of which you want festering away in your kitchen!

It's bizarre as we had a new kitchen fitted at the start of the year and the builders were supposed to seal up all holes as we had a rat issue previously.
I don't think either of us want to have a look... 🤢

Also it's a rented house so I'm more inclined to contact the estate agent before we start ripping the kitchen up.

The flies won't last long. Basically the body (or whatever it is) has fly eggs laid on it within about 24 hours, they hatch into maggots, feed on the body, then all turn into flies over the course of a few days. So you get a few days of fly infestation.

There's still the smell to deal with. It's probably in a space between cupboard and wall so worth having a look.

You don't need to 'rip the kitchen up', just remove the kickboard and shine a torch through.

That's good to know, thanks Mere.
I'm going to get in touch with the estate agent on Monday. I would have contacted them ages ago when it was first smelly if it wasn't for the fact the gas man came to do the safety check and discovered the gas leak. I just want to move house now, had enough!

They've sealed up the kick boards really well so it's going to be awkward to get them off I think. What do we do if we get them off and there's a half decomposed dead thing there though?!

Rented house >>> landlord's problem.

I had a funny smell in my kitchen, thought one of the cats had pooed under the cupboard...turned out to be my missing (for two weeks) cat...very dead. The flies will be gone in a couple of days as will the smell but if you are rented, contact your letting agency ASAP XX