Missouri, private property
Dead Squirrel Removal in Missouri
A squirrel that dies indoors is usually in the attic, the garage roof space or the soffit. The question is whether it is lying where someone can get to it from the hatch.
Before you pay anyone. Listen before anyone goes up: scratching means something is still alive up there, and live-animal work is not passed on through this site. If the smell is strongest along an outside wall rather than in the attic, read the wall-smell article first.
What this covers
- A squirrel on the attic floor or in loose insulation reached from the hatch.
- A squirrel in a garage roof space or on a garage shelf.
- A squirrel in a yard or gutter that can be reached from a ladder.
Where the limit is
Live squirrels, trapping and sealing the gap they came through are not offered here. A squirrel sealed inside a wall or soffit cavity is information only on this site.
Wild animals in Missouri belong to the state dead or alive (RSMo 252.020 and 252.030). The Missouri Department of Conservation's published advice for a wild animal carcass, written for animals removed because they were damaging property, is to bury it or bag it for regular trash. MDC also advises wearing gloves and washing your hands if you handle one.
A squirrel is small, so there is less to decompose than with a raccoon, but an attic in a Missouri summer is hot and still, and the smell can carry into the rooms below. How long it lasts also turns on humidity and airflow; no one can promise a date.
How a call goes
- Call or send the form with your ZIP code and where the squirrel is.
- Say whether it can be reached from the attic hatch or another existing opening.
- If an operator covers your ZIP code, you settle the price and timing with them directly.
- If an operator takes the job, the squirrel is bagged and taken for disposal.
Questions about this animal
Can a squirrel in the attic be reached without cutting the ceiling?
If the attic can be crawled to that spot from the hatch, often yes. A squirrel inside a sealed wall or soffit cavity is a different matter and is not removed through this site.
Do squirrels carry rabies in Missouri?
Any mammal can carry rabies, but Missouri health officials say it is found mostly in bats and skunks. Wear gloves if you handle any dead animal and wash your hands afterwards.
Can I put a dead squirrel in the trash?
The Missouri Department of Conservation's advice for a carcass, written for animals removed for damaging property, includes bagging it for regular trash pickup. Your city or hauler sets what its carts accept.
Not sure this is the right page? Who removes a dead animal in Missouri works through the public and private split, and the locations page sets out what the larger cities publish.