As the classic children’s book of the same name says, “Everyone poops.” And that includes mice. Unfortunately, mice don’t come potty trained and instead leave a trail of their excrement everywhere they go — typically attics, basements, kitchens, and the like. But how do you know if it’s mice you’re dealing with? What do mouse droppings look like?
To start, you could compare them to grains of black rice. But, since other animals’ poop can look similar, keep reading to delve into the dirty details of mouse doo doo.
What Do Mouse Droppings Look Like?
Similar in appearance to grains of black or brown rice, depending on how fresh they are, mouse poop is about one-quarter inch long and pointy at the ends. New droppings will be dark and moist, while older droppings will fade to brown or gray and have a hard consistency.
Often, mouse poop is confused with the droppings of other insects or animals like rats, bats, chipmunks, and roaches. You can quickly eliminate the rat option merely by the size of the droppings — as rats are larger animals than mice, so is there poop, ranging from half an inch to nearly a full inch in size.
Comparatively:
- Bat poop is similar in look and size to mouse poop but will crumble even when fresh; also has blunt ends and may contain visible parts of eaten insects.
- Chipmunk poop looks very close to mouse poop but is slightly larger and usually dumped in piles.
- Roach poop is smaller than mouse poop and looks more like coffee grounds than rice grains.
How Many Droppings Does One Mouse Leave?
Roughly, a mouse (be it a deer mouse, house mouse, or field mouse) goes poo between 50 and 75 times a day. Why is this important? The amount of droppings you see in your home could clue you into whether you’re dealing with a single mouse or an infestation.
For example, if you notice large mounds of mice feces, odds are, there’s more than one mouse, as mice tend to poop while they’re eating and moving around from place to place. Large mounds could signify multiple mice are eating and traveling along the same routes in your home. Since mice reproduce rapidly — birthing 5 to 12 baby mice at once, 10 times per year — one or two mice can quickly turn into dozens.
Tip: Follow the trail of mouse droppings; it could lead you to their hiding spots and nesting sites, which you can get rid of yourself or hire a pro to do the dirty work.
Where Are Mouse Droppings Typically Found?
Maybe you haven’t found any droppings yet, but you sure did see a mouse scurry in front of your feet while working at your desk the other night. If this happens, it’s definitely time to actively search for mouse droppings; this can help you figure out how long that mouse (and potentially its friends) have been taking up residence in your space.
A few good places to look for mouse poop are:
- In the garage
- In between couch cushions
- In storage areas
- In the basement
- In the attic
- On kitchen counters
- In cabinets
- In the stove
- Under the kitchen sink
Dangers of Mouse Droppings
While it’s rare to become ill from mouse droppings, the possibility is still there any time you come into contact with them, especially while cleaning them up. Disturbing dried mouse droppings by sweeping or vacuuming them can send particles into the air that you, your family, friends, and pets can inhale.
Diseases that can be found in mouse droppings include:
- Hantavirus
- Bubonic plague
- Salmonellosis
- Lymphocytic choriomeningitis
These diseases can survive in mouse droppings for about three days and can be passed on even if you accidentally touch the droppings and then touch another part of your body, food, countertops, etc.
How to Clean Mouse Droppings
To avoid cross contamination and the spread of such dangerous diseases, it’s essential to follow the CDC’s rodent cleaning guidelines.
- Gather your supplies (e.g., rubber/plastic gloves, face mask, disinfectant like Lysol or bleach).
- Before cleaning, open windows, put on gloves, and soak droppings for about five minutes in disinfectant spray or bleach solution.
- Wipe the soaked area/pick up the soaked droppings with a paper towel.
- Dispose of the soiled paper towels in a covered garbage can (rather than an uncovered wastebasket).
- Using disinfectant again, wipe down or mop hard surfaces for the second time. If cleaning carpet or fabric furniture, soak with disinfectant for 30 minutes, and use hot water extraction to vacuum the floor or upholstery shampoo for the furniture; for the best results, hire a professional carpet cleaning or upholstery cleaning company.
- Wash hands with gloves still on.
- Remove gloves and rewash hands.
If you happen to find mouse droppings in your clothing (those pesky things would find solace in a dark, comfy drawer), follow steps 1 through 4 above, and then, toss that clothing in the washing machine on a hot water cycle with detergent.
FAQ About Mice Droppings
Do mouse feces smell?
Most experts agree that mouse droppings don’t usually have a strong smell; their urine on the other hand? That smells just how you’d expect — like pee (heavy on the ammonia). Another cause of a foul smell coming from a mouse is dead mouse smell.
Does vinegar disinfect mouse droppings?
While white vinegar is often used as an all-natural cleaning alternative, it does not disinfect as well as bleach and other solutions labeled as disinfectants. More specifically, it does not have the power to kill viruses that mouse droppings can carry.
Instead, use a cleaning solution explicitly labeled as a disinfectant, or use a mix of bleach and water (1.5 cups of bleach per gallon of water).
What if I accidentally vacuumed mouse droppings?
Vacuuming mouse poop that hasn’t first been treated with a disinfectant solution can actually help spread diseases by sending contaminated particles into the air. But, if you’ve already done so, you’re probably OK, since contracting hantavirus (the main worry with mice and mouse droppings) is rare to begin with.
To be on the safe side, though, you should disinfect your vacuum cleaner. Here’s how:
- Put on protective gear (gloves, face mask).
- Disassemble the vacuum cleaner.
- Throw out the vacuum bag, or if you have a canister, disinfect it and the filter with dish soap and hot water. Repeat this process for all other parts.
- Allow to dry for about 24 hours before using again.
Hire a Pro to Identify and Eliminate Mouse Droppings
Not only do mice feast on your garbage scraps and anything else they can find in your home; they also leave behind some of that post-digested food (aka poop) in your attic, under your furniture, in your cabinets, and in other hiding places.
If you’re concerned about properly cleaning or identifying the rodent droppings, you can take away any guesswork and uncertainty by hiring a rodent control expert near you. Besides confidently identifying the type of droppings you have and disinfecting the contaminated areas, these pros can also find and seal entry points, get rid of any nests, and set traps to help stop any current infestation.
Main Photo Credit: NY State IPM Program at Cornell University from New York, USA / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0
