How to Tell the Difference Between Rodent and Wildlife Droppings

According to Bobby Corrigan’s Rodent Control: A Practical Guide for Pest Management Professionals, 10 rodent signs include droppings; chewing damage; burrows; runways; tracks; grease marks (sebum); urine stains; visual sightings of live or dead rodents; rodent sounds (squealing); and odors.  

Unfortunately, rodents are incontinent. When rodents need to relieve themselves they urinate and defecate when the urge hits. Droppings and urine stains tend to be heaviest where the rodents spend more of their time. Not only do droppings accumulate over time, but can be a health hazard to you and your family.

The size and shape of droppings will help rodent control specialists determine what animal the droppings are associated with:  

• Mouse droppings are approximately the size of a grain of rice, dark and pointed at both ends.
• Norway rat droppings are about 3/4" with blunt ends.
• Flying squirrels droppings are usually round, dark in color and unorganized.
• Squirrel droppings are 3/8 inch long with rounded edges and scattered about.
• Bat droppings look like black grains of rice just a little larger. When touched, they break apart into a powdery substance.

Rodent droppings can be sometimes confused with American roach droppings and fly pupae.

• American roach droppings tend to be barrel shaped and have striations, or lines, along the sides. Mouse pellets have no lines and tend to be tapered at the ends. Droppings found in hot, steamy locations might more likely be from American roaches, rather than mice so a closer, more deliberative look will be needed.
• Rat droppings are larger (up to ¾ inch) and can be confused with large fly pupae. Fly pupae easily can be differentiated because of lines running around the circumference of the pupal case. Pupal cases also tend to be more uniform in shape than rat droppings, rounded at the ends and not tapered.

Rodents in the home are dangerous to you and your families’ health. While rodents nest and travel throughout our homes, they transfer pathogens with their urine. Keep an eye out for pest and rodent signs and at the first signs of infestation, contact a Clifton Park pest Control Company like Thomas Pest Services.  The best action you can take for your home, family and property is contacting a pest management professional for a no charge home audit

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