Mouse Droppings: Identify, Clean and Understand Risks

One of the most common signs of a mouse infestation in your property are the droppings (or pellets) mice leave behind. It's important for you to be able to correctly identify mice poop, so you can take the right steps to get the mice and the faeces removed safely.

The droppings (poop, pellets, faeces - whatever you prefer to call them) of mice can be dangerous. Fresh mouse droppings in poorly ventilated areas pose a health risk, due to the bateria and viruses they contain. Try to avoid contact with them or breathing in infected particles, especially in areas such as attics, crawl spaces and basements.

The following diseases can be spread by mouse droppings:

• Hantaviruses  - The most common diseases associated with mice droppings. It is a respiratory disease found in rodent droppings, saliva and urine. People can contract the diseases by inhaling dust that has been in contact with the droppings and urine. The UK Health Security Agency states the two most serious of these are:
• (HFRS) haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome.
• (HPS) hantavirus pulmonary syndrome.
•  Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis (LCMV) - This rodent-borne viral infection is transmitted primarily through mice. Commonly transmitted after coming in contact with droppings and urine of the infected mice. Thiinfection can lead to serious neurological problems in humans.

Discovering a lone mouse is unsettling, but a trail of mice droppings signals a potential health risk and possibly a much larger issue.

• Why do I see droppings, but no mice? - Droppings mean mice, even if you don't see them. They're nocturnal creatures by nature and most active at night, preferring to avoid open spaces and remain hidden for safety from predators.
• How do you tell if mouse dropping are old or new? - Fresh droppings tend to be soft and moist. The colour of mice poop depends more on their food source than the age of the droppings. A simple way to check, is to very carefully (wearing gloves and mask) remove droppings from a specific area. Then re-inspect that location after 24 hours, and if new poop has been deposited there is a current infestation.
• What does mouse poop look like? - It can be difficult to tell mice droppings from other pest excrement (particuarly rat poo) but size is a key differentiator for mouse poop. The droppings are approximately 3 to 8 mm in length, tapered at the ends and can resemble dark grains of rice. A single mouse can deposit 50 to 80 droppings randomly each night.

• Where to look for mouse droppings - Common places to find mice faeces are around sinks and pipework, under kitchen units and fridges, lofts and roof spaces, around boilers and central heating systems. Pantries and other food storage areas. Utility rooms and near to appliances like washing machines and tumble driers. Any location around the property where there are air vents, exposed pipes or gaps / holes in walls.
• Cleaning up mice poop safely - The UK Health Security Agency cautions not to touch mouse pellets with bare hands and to ventilate the area where dropping were found for at least 30 minutes before attempting to disinfect and clean.

The first step to getting rid of mice droppings, is to remove the mice that are causing them! If the mouse infestation remains in your property, they will continue to deposit poop on a nightly basis. Professional pest controllers can offer effective solutions to eliminate mouse infestations, provide advice on proofing to help prevent their return and supply a professional disinfection service to reduce the risks of illnesses associated with rodent droppings.

If you wish to intially remove some mice droppings yourself, you need to take precautions as transmission of pathogens from rodents can occur through inhalation of infected faeces and urine, as well as contact via bare skin.

• Ventilate the location of the mouse droppings (open doors and windows) for a minimum of 30 minutes before you start to clean.
• You must NOT sweep or vacuum the poop immediately, as particles from the droppings can become airborne and potentially be inhaled.
• Wear gloves (such as rubber or latex) and wear a mask over your face to reduce the chances of contact or inhalation of the faeces.
• Using a strong disinfectant spray, saturate the mice droppings and the surrounding area, and leave for approximately five minutes to soak.
• Use disposable clothes, wipes or rags to thoroughly clean the area and mop up the mouse droppings. Also clean nearby surfaces like floors, worktops, drawers, cabinets and other hard surfaces.
• Place all droppings and used cleaning materials in a plastic bag and seal. Then place the sealed bag in an exterior dustbin with a secure lid.

Once you've finished, remember good hyigene practices and wash gloved hands with soap and water, before removing and disposing of gloves. Then wash bare hands throughly and use antibacterial hand gel.