It is irritating when you find so many rodent droppings around your house but you have no idea which critters are leaving them, mouse or rat? Or both of them? Usually, rat dropping is confused with mouse dropping while mouse dropping is with cockroaches or bat dropping. When it comes to identifying them it might be difficult for you if do not know the differences between Rat Poop Vs Mouse Poop. However, there is a fair discussion on mouse and rat droppings which will help you out to identify them correctly.
Rat Poop Vs Mouse Poop | Major Differences
Although mouse and rat droppings have so many similarities still they have a couple of differences also. There is a list of the differences between mouse vs rat poop. Let’s check the post to know the details about them.
Check: Mole Vs Mouse
Sizes
- When compare to mouse droppings, rat droppings are larger thanthe mouse one. Their droppings can be varied in size, depending on their species and their age. However, rat dropping is normally about a ¾ inch long and 1/8 inch in diameter.
- Mouse dropping is usually about a ¼ inch long which is smaller than a piece of rice.
Shapes
- Most of the rat poops will have a sausage shape to but some are pill-shaped. They are curved and may have a blunt or rounded end.
- On the other hand, mouse poops are widest in the middle and pointy at the end. Generally, they are bent in an arch.
Quantities
- Rats leave around 40-50 pellets in a single day. But if you have 35 or 150 faeces in a day that means you have a significant amount of rodents in your house.
- When it’s about the quantity of mice faeces they leave a significant amount of faecal matter, around 70 to 150. So you should consider this fact as a great sign of the presence of the mice in your place.
Colors
- Rat poops are usually dark with a glistering wet surface when it is fresh. When the poops getting old they take a dull grey color and crumbly dusty surface.
- Mice poops are usually black when they are new and fresh or moldy when they are old.
Locations
- Rodent faeces are usually going to be found in larger places like in attic spaces, garages, basements, rooftops or behind the storage boxes.
- Mice leave their faeces wherever they go. The highest amount of mice poops will be found near their nest or where they feed. However, there are some common places where you can easily find out mice poops such as behind the foods boxes, back of your silverware drawer or under the kitchen sink.
Moistures
- Fresh and new rodent droppings will be moist and dark. If you are curious to know how fresh it is, squish a dropping with a pencil. If the dropping crumbles, it is fresh and new. However, fresh faeces indicate that the rodent infestation is active and ongoing in your house.
- As I mention it above, fresh mice faeces will be black or nearly black with a glistering and wet-looking surface. Finding fresh faeces of a couple of sizes could indicate you have a breeding population of both older and young mice.
Also Check: Types of Rats in Florida
Mouse Poop Vs Rat Poop | Cleaning Processes
Rat Vs Mouse Poop both can cause a wide variety of diseases. So it is very important to clean them as soon as you find them. There is a complete instruction to clean mouse and rat poop. Follow the instruction carefully to remove their droppings from your house.
Ventilate the Area Where You Will Clean
First of all, open the doors and windows of the place where you need to clean droppings. Let the fresh air in the space for a half hour before you start the cleaning. If you’re dealing with a very large amount of faeces wear a face mask or ventilator while cleaning.
Do Not Touch Rodent Droppings with your Bare Hands
Wear protective gloves, long sleeves cloth, and a mask to protect yourself from the harm of the rodent droppings. Never touch the droppings with your bare hands as the droppings contain dangerous germs that could harm your health. According to the University of Texas at Austin, you should wear elbow-length rubber or vinyl gloves when you’re handling mice or rodent droppings.
Spray the Affected Area with a Bleach-Based Solution
To make your own solution mix 1.5 cups of chlorine bleach with a gallon of hot water. Wear a mask to protect your throat and lunges during making the solution. Put the solution on a spray bottle and spray it on the droppings until they are saturated. Let the solution soak into the droppings for at least 5 minutes.
Do Not Sweep or Vacuum Up Rodent Droppings
Pick up the disinfected droppings carefully with a paper towel and dispose of them in a secure plastic bag. Put the plastic bag with the droppings in a covered garbage can that is emptied regularly. However, do not sweep or vacuum up the droppings instead of clean or disinfect them.
Wipe or Clean-up the Floor and Surfaces
Clean the floors where you have removed mice or rodent droppings with the same bleach-based solution. Wipe down the counters of your house with 10% of chlorine bleach solution or 3% hydrogen peroxide. You can use a paper towel to wipe down the surfaces. Cleaning the area with a bleach-based solution will prevent harmful germs from spreading.
Wash your Hands and Clothes
Wash your hands and all the items that came into contact with the rodent poop. Wash exposed clothing, towels, and bedding in a washing machine with hot and soapy water. Hand washes the materials that are not machine washable.
Final Words
In conclusion, it’s very important to know the differences between Rat Poop Vs Mouse Poop to catch them easily. However, both Rat and Mouse Poop could be dangerous to you and your family as they contain several of germs or bacteria which can cause various fatal diseases. So you should clean them properly to protect you and your family from dangerous diseases. But who wants to clean their droppings on a regular basis? Once you have to get rid of mice from your house you won’t have to do that regularly.
