No one wants to find droppings from a rodent in their home, but it happens. When you see droppings in your home, it can be a sign of an infestation.
Identifying what rodents left the pellets is vital in helping eradicate the problem and prevent it in the future. So, what do mouse and rat droppings look like? Keep reading to find out!
Signs To Tell if You Have Rats or Mice
If you see a mouse or rat, you know you have one. Besides that, one of the easiest ways to tell if you have rats or mice roaming around your house is by seeing droppings. These rodents need to go to the bathroom, and unlike us, they have no problem dropping pellets anywhere in your home.
Just because you see a few droppings doesn’t mean you have an infestation. You might only have one or two rats or mice around, but that can lead to a bigger problem in the future. Rats usually have about 50 droppings daily, while mice can produce up to 70 daily.
You might also see rub marks on your floorboards, walls, and other home areas where rats and mice roam. You might even see bite marks on wires, walls, and other items. The best thing to do is hire a professional to assess the situation.
Rat Droppings vs. Mouse Droppings
A lot of people mistake rat droppings for mouse droppings and vice versa. While they’re both unpleasant and from rodents, they are different. Let’s break down the differences so you can better distinguish which type of rodent problem you might have.
What Do Rat Droppings Look Like?
It’s almost easy to confuse rate droppings for some food items. Rat droppings are about half an inch long and typically cylindrical. Some rat droppings can be up to one inch long! One way to determine if you have rat droppings in your home is if you find them in a group.
You can tell if you have new or old rat droppings by color. Old rat droppings are gray and tend to look almost dusty. Fresh rat droppings are dark in color and shiny.
Since there are various types of rats, not all their droppings will look the same. You can sometimes tell what kind of rat infestation you have based on their pellets. Some rats have curved pellets, while others are straight ones.
When you realize you have rat droppings, the best thing to do is to hire a professional to determine the type of rats you have and the appropriate way to eliminate the problem.
What Do Mouse Droppings Look Like?
The primary way to tell if what you’re looking at is mouse droppings or another rodent’s droppings is by size. Mouse droppings are anywhere between an eighth to a quarter of an inch long. Meaning they’re pretty small compared to other rodents.
Besides the size, their appearance can indicate that you have mice. The ends of the pellets are usually tapered, and many people think they look like dark pieces of rice. Once you see the droppings, you’ll need to figure out how new they are to determine how severe your issue is.
The best way to see how old or new the mouse droppings are is by removing them and then checking the area about a day later. If you have new droppings, you likely have an infestation, whereas if there aren’t any, it’s probably not an ongoing issue.
Getting Rid of Your Rodent Problem
When it comes to dealing with a rodent issue, it can be frustrating, distasteful, and feel like it’s never-ending. Instead of handling the problem independently, which can be time-consuming and more costly, call Romney Pest Control today.
We have licensed professionals with years of experience who can set traps and provide continuous pest management. This way, you never have to handle unwanted pests on your own, and we’ll be able to fix the problem faster.
