Finding mysterious small droppings in your home can be alarming. You may wonder where they came from and whether mice have infested your house. Here are the most important things to know about mouse droppings, including when you should call for mice control in Cambridge.
What Do Mouse Droppings Look Like?
Mouse droppings are 3 to 8 mm long, smooth, and pointed on at least one end. In general, they look like small, black grains of rice or long chocolate sprinkles. When fresh, they are black and shiny and squish when you squeeze them. When more than a few days old, droppings are brown or grayish and crumble easily. Bright green or blue mouse poop usually means the mouse has ingested poison.
Droppings from other household pests can look similar but have the following key differences:
- Cockroaches – Smaller than mouse droppings. They have ridges along the sides and often resemble coffee grounds.
- Bats – Similar in size, but pinched at both ends. When you crush them, they sparkle due to tiny pieces of insect exoskeletons inside.
- Rats – Twice as large. The ends are usually rounded but occasionally pointed.
- Squirrels – Similar to rat droppings but barrel-shaped and lighter in colour. They are more likely to be in your attic than in your kitchen.
Do Mouse Droppings Mean My House Is Infested?
A mouse uses the bathroom approximately 50 times per day. So if you think you have found just one single mouse dropping, it may be something else that looks similar. However, finding lots of fresh droppings means you have at least one mouse living in your home. If some of the droppings also look old, then you know the mice have been with you for some time.
Having one or two mice on the loose in your home may not sound like a cause for alarm until you consider how quickly they can multiply. A female mouse can give birth to a litter of six babies approximately once every month. When the babies are six to eight weeks old, they can also start breeding. So even if you do not currently have an infestation, residential pest control can prevent the population from growing big in a hurry.
Are Mouse Droppings Dangerous?
Although getting sick from mouse droppings is unlikely, mice do carry serious diseases that humans can catch. For example, the hantavirus can survive in droppings for 2 to 3 days and spreads when the virus enters a person’s lungs. Although rare, it is usually deadly. People contract intestinal diseases such as salmonella, E. coli, and C. difficile when they eat contaminated food. These bacteria can live for weeks after passing through a mouse’s digestive tract.
The primary danger from cleaning up mouse droppings is breathing in airborne particles, so don’t create dust by sweeping up dry droppings. You should also never clean a small space like a cupboard by sticking your head inside. Protect yourself by following these guidelines:
- Wear rubber gloves and a facemask.
- Soak droppings with a disinfectant solution.
- Use paper towels to wipe up the droppings while they are still wet.
- Dispose of everything in a sealed plastic bag.
How Can Truly Nolen in Cambridge Help?
If you find mouse droppings, call Truly Nolen. Our residential pest control team will evaluate your situation and tell you whether you have an infestation. We will show you where rodents are getting in and will develop a plan to keep them out for good. We start trapping immediately to remove any animals inside your home. We also sanitize areas where rodents have been living so you don’t have to risk cleaning yourself. Fill out our online form or call us to schedule an inspection today.