Mouse droppings are symptomatic of a serious pest problem in the home. Important identifying features of the excrement leave no doubt, such as size, shape and colour. How to identify mouse droppings by appearance.

detect mouse droppings

Excrement is the only thing you see of mice indoors in the early stages. The rodents are nocturnal, very shy and masters of camouflage. Even in the case of a massive mouse infestation, direct encounters with living animals are the exception. A good reason to subject the house to a thorough inspection at the first suspicion of the presence of the pests. Mouse droppings can be identified by this appearance:

  • Size: 3-8mm
  • Shape: round or spindle-shaped
  • Colour: black to dark brown

At first glance, the visual appearance is reminiscent of a dark grain of rice. Typically, the beasts drop their feces sporadically and do not make latrines like rats often do. A two-dimensional, random distribution is therefore a further indication of the detachment of mice.

Size distribution reveals infestation pressure

Each house mouse produces 60 to 80 droppings per night. If the dark chunks are about the same size, it is usually a single specimen. On the other hand, if you find hundreds of grains of droppings of different sizes, there is cause for concern. Juveniles naturally leave behind smaller droppings than adult parents. A fanned-out size spectrum indicates that the mice are reproducing and the pressure of infestation is increasing. This aspect is a significant reason for the immediate consultation of a certified pest controller.

Notice: It is not possible to tell from the appearance of mouse droppings whether the culprit was male or female. If it was a pregnant mouse, the plague is inevitable. Experts have determined that a single litter and subsequent generations can produce up to 2000 mice within a year.

Consistency reveals topicality

The consistency of mouse droppings provides information about the severity of the infestation. You can tell from these criteria whether you are dealing with an acute infestation of mice or whether the furry gang has long since fled:

  • Acute infestation by mice: wet, soft pellets of droppings with a shiny surface
  • Old, ended infestation: dried, crumbly or hard excrement

Another indication of age is the color of the solution. The older the faeces, the more the black to dark brown color fades and takes on a greyish appearance.

Finding mouse droppings

Mice can be up to mischief for a long time because the tiny crumbs of excrement are mistaken for harmless bundles of fluff. Therefore, take the first suspicions as an opportunity to carefully inspect your house, basement and garage. The sooner you identify mouse droppings as such, the better the chances of rapid, effective control. We have summarized the most common locations for you below:

  • House: behind furniture, in cable ducts, in cupboards and drawers, on pantry shelves
  • Basement: in and behind sacks or boxes, along dark walls
  • Garage: behind recycling bags, parked car tires or stored potting soil

Check out any potential loopholes that cunning mice might use to gain entry. All openings into which a ballpoint pen would also fit can be considered.

Source: W.A. Djatmiko, Mus muscul 061113 tdp, edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 3.0

Notice: The legacies of mice cannot initially be determined by their smell. Isolated droppings are almost odorless. When the mouse population grows to plague proportions, large accumulations of feces and urine spread an acrid, pungent stench throughout the home.

Note potential danger

If you only find dried mouse droppings, this fact only superficially gives the all-clear. In fact, when dried out, the excrement poses a serious health risk. When the droppings crumble, tiny particles get into the air and are breathable. This can have disastrous consequences, because the droppings often carry pathogens with them. Insidious infections such as cholera, dysentery and life-threatening hantaviruses spread via inhaled faecal particles. At the first suspicion, please put on disposable gloves and a breathing mask to avoid direct contact with the dangerous rodent excrement.

Category:

Garden pests