What Do Mouse Droppings Look Like?

Spotting mouse droppings in your home is often the first sign you notice that you have guests. As noticing mouse feces is a primary sign of an infestation, we’re afraid we have to spend some time discussing the subject.

It may not be to everyone’s taste but it's an inescapable part of keeping your property pest free.

If you have a mouse problem, you need to tackle it, and the first task on the list is to make sure it is mice and not rats or other pests.

A simple way to do that is by identifying the poop.

What does mouse poop look like?

Mouse poop looks like tiny pellets, often grouped together. They look like grains of brown rice, only darker.

Mouse poop is usually around quarter inch long and light or dark brown. The lighter the poop, the fresher it is. Older mouse poop looks dark brown and dry.

How to tell the difference between rat and mouse droppings

As both types of pests leave evidence behind when in our homes, how can you tell the difference between the two?

Both types of feces look similar, like small brown grains of rice but mouse poop has a pointier end.

Rat poop has rounder, blunter ends but is otherwise very similar.

Rats can often drop larger poop but if it has pointier ends, it’s a mouse. If it has rounded ends, it’s a rat.

Other signs of a mouse infestation

Aside from spotting mouse poop, there are other signs of a mouse infestation.

Let’s cover a few of them here.

Strange noises in the house

If you hear scratching or scuttling in the attic or within the walls, that’s a sign you have pests.

You’ll be most likely to hear sounds at night as mice are nocturnal. They will scavenge for food, build nests and do whatever else they do when it’s dark, which is when sound travels best anyway.

Chewing around the house

If you spot tiny gnaw marks on furniture, wiring, skirting boards or elsewhere in your home, that could be mice or rats. Both critters chew so it’s a sign of something in your home, but not exactly what.

For some reason, both mice and rats have a taste for wiring. This means all homeowners should be alert to their cabling and fully investigate any strange failures in home entertainment, computers or other electrical devices.

Tiny footprints

Both mice and rats can leave footprints in dusty or dirtier areas, which can be easily detected.

If you’re in the attic or inspecting areas you don’t often go, look for footprints in the dust as they can be a dead giveaway!

How to humanely get rid of mice

If you spot mouse poop in your home along with other signs you have pests, it’s time to take action.

Most pests cause damage to properties, so leaving them alone isn’t a viable option. Plus, they can carry disease which poses a risk to children and pets.

The best way to get rid of mice is the humane way. By using an ultrasonic mouse deterrent.

Ultrasonic mouse deterrents

An ultrasonic mouse deterrent uses sound to deter mice and other pests from your home and yard.

Humans and most pets cannot hear the sound but small mammals, pests, insects and other critters can. These animals find the noise annoying, so will quickly move elsewhere.

That’s how ultrasonic mouse deterrents work.

Place an ultrasonic mouse deterrent in any room you detect mouse activity and leave it running 24/7.

You’ll soon notice a reduction in mouse activity and after a short while, your home should be mouse free.

Once they are gone, spend some time figuring out how they got in and fill gaps and holes so they can’t come back.

They won’t while you’re using an ultrasonic mouse deterrent, but there’s no such thing as too many deterrents!