I'd bet that's what it is.

If you were starting from scratch, I'd have suggested mixing some of the compressed sawdust kitty litter in - that stuff is very good at absorbing odors. Now that you've got a weed barrier and brick there, though, there probably isn't much you can do about it without ripping everything up. If you put your garbage pails somewhere else, eventually the soil under the brick would be cleaned up by the microherd, but since that's the whole reason you put the brick there in the first place, well ...

Do your garbage pails leak? I can't imagine that a household garbage bin would transfer smells to that degree to the soil, even if you had rotten meat in it.
Small spills that might occur in such an area would certainly be taken care of by the microherd. It is, after all, a composting process unless the soil there is very sterile.

I would suggest that something did, indeed, die back there and this might just be a coincidence. Are there any nearby shrubs or other nooks and crannies where something might have crawled in to die? Or had been buried there by another animal? Crazy neighbor maybe? :) Even a mole or vole dying underground could stink things up for a while.

I would bet that the smell will be gone in a few weeks, depending on the weather.

A final thought: Does your gas line run anywhere in that area? A leaking natural gas pipe could smell like old garbage.

I would first eliminate the possiblity of a leaky natural gas line, but soil that is covered with something that keeps it from breathing will give off odors reminescent of dead animals, anaerobic soils. Plastic can do that as can any otehr impervious covering.

How do I check for a gas leak?
cherry

Lovelycherry asks:

"How do I check for a gas leak?"

You call the gas company and report the problem; that is what you pay them for. Do not light any matches/lighters in the area if you think it is gas.

If it were my soil the first thing I would do is get all that plastic or whatever is on the ground now off the soil and let it breath. I would then add lots of compost once it is confirmed that there is no gas leaking in the area. Compost will clean up just about anything, plus it will give the soil the ability to grow plants very well. If I couldnÂt get my hands on some good compost I would make a lasagna bed over the entire area, this too will correct the problem in time.

Garbage will smell, as we all know, however, with a little work it can be corrected. I trust this helps in some wayÂ

Blutranes

A leaky sewer line could also be the cause. A friend who had a leaky gas line crossing his property first noticed that no plants would survive in the area. It was the gas company that found the leak and they paid him for the landscaping which died as a result of the leak. Al

Thanks for all the ideas.. I don't think I will lift the bricks just yet.. hubby worked hard and is very ill( with Ulcerative colitis) so to do that would mean added work for him right now.

I will call the gas company. I am only in this house 2 years so maybe it is an old leak in the soil.
cherry

Yes it was a gas leak, they came and vented the street.
They have to replace the main line. My soil does not smell as bad since they vented it.
The gas guy said that women smell it more then men.
Thanks for the help, cherry

Wow, you are lucky!

It's a good reminder, whenever you are going to dig, call the number (usually in the phone book) so the utilities can be marked.

Great call Kimmsr! thats thinking outside the box.

Wow, right on both counts. Very lucky, and a very good call on Kimmsr's part. I never thought of the odor actually being gas.

How deep are utilities usually buried anyway?

Karen

2' to 4' deep for gas... and they can be shallower in warmer climates or places with shallow rock.

The gas itself its odorless, the utilities add the stinky smell, so leaks can be detected.

kimmsr- One of the best pieces of advice given that I have ever read. Talk about timely and on the money!

tj

Try to remember that smell, Cherry, in case it occurs again somewhere else.

If you ever walk into a building and smell it, DON'T turn on any lights. Leave and call for help from a distance.

A natural gas filled house exploded in my area a few years ago, right after the owner got home one night. They think it was sparked from her flicking on a light switch...but can't ask her because she was killed.

Yes, kimmsr made a good call. But did anyone besides me notice that chris had the same thought a day earlier?

Sorry Chris, I missed that. Very good call.

tj