Visual Cues
Mice and rats are nocturnal, stealthy, and well adapted to staying out of sight. The first sign of an infestation is often the identification of rodent droppings in or around the house.
Mouse poop is dark colored and about the size of a rice kernel, while rat scat is black and bean-sized.
Rodent feces typically show up in garages, kitchens, bedrooms, and other areas the pests frequent. Not only are these pellets unsightly, but they fill the room with a foul, musty odor.
Homeowners can also look for rodent scat in the following places:
- Near improperly stored garbage
- Behind shelves, stoves, and tables along the wall
- In attics and wall voids
Diet
Rodents prefer to eat fresh food, but they can live their entire lives on nothing but garbage.
An ounce each of rotting food and dirty water is all it takes to keep a rat alive for one day. It also provides plenty of fuel to create piles of rodent droppings.
This survival skill makes it hard to simply starve out or wait out an infestation. As a general rule, for every visible mouse or rat, about 25 more remain unseen.
Rodent Feces Contamination
When mice and rats make their way indoors, they search for food in kitchens and pantries.
The pests can easily gnaw through packaging and taint the contents with rodent feces and urine. Since this waste can transmit Hantavirus and salmonellosis, it's a serious threat to residents.
Rats and mice contaminate as much as 10 times the food they eat. As soon as rodent poop is identified in pantries or cupboards, it is safest to get rid of anything not stored in a tightly-sealed container.
Heavy-duty materials like metal, thick plastic, and glass are the most rodent-proof.
Additional Problems
Even if not directly consumed, rat or mouse waste may still transfer disease. An act as simple as moving rodent scat can release infected particles into the air. Never vacuum or sweep rodent poop, urine, or nesting material in an attempt to clean up.
Before cold weather begins, seal structural gaps or any small entry points into the home. This will reduce the possibility of rodent droppings showing up indoors. However, it can be difficult to identify every crevice.
Reach out to Critter Control for professional rodent prevention and removal.
Get them out.
Keep them out.®
Experience wildlife or pest issue? We can help! Complete this form and your local Critter Control® office will contact you to assist.
Customer Reviews
It has been very effective at reducing the number of mice, lizard, and snake sightings. During one visit Edgar removed a rattlesnake he came across. We may see a snake maybe two to three times during the spring and summer months, but it has been far less than before.
Serivces:
Wildlife & Rodent Control in San Diego
Full service. Excellent job of extracting raccoon, cleaning all animal waste, sanitizing, and spraying anti-parasitic substance. They closed all potential ports of entry, though the work did not match the vinyl, and it looks kind of tacky. They added blown insulation, which added a lot to the cost. They provide a one year warranty against animal intrusion, with an option to extend the warranty at the end of each one- year period. They were willing to work with me one the price. I will probably extend my warranty, and will definitely use them it the future.
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Chattanooga
I was really impressed by these guys. Got a call within a few hours of making an inquiry. Had a rep out to inspect the situation by the end of the week, and when they laid out the timeline they kept if not exceeded listed times.
Rob, Travis, and Jim were all professional, polite, and courteous and after months of hearing squirrels in my ceiling they are gone and the repair to my flashing looks excellent. Can't recommend these guys enough.
Jeff was incredibly professional and helpful. I'll use them again and would recommend them to anyone.
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Detroit, MI
Critter Control did a great job of evaluating our house for sites of entry after we found bats and a squirrel in our attic. They completed their work promptly and professionally.
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Seattle, WA
We heard some noise from the corner of our house. Concerned that it could be inside we called for an inspection. Jessy arrived as scheduled and conducted a complete inspection of our home. Based on a recording we made he determined we had a tree frog on our roof. I was pleased that we didn’t have any rodent in our house. And his inspection could a few spots I can tighten up around my house. I am very happy with the outcome.
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New Hampshire
We have a vacation home in
Western Mass and haven’t been there much during the pandemic as we live and work in Atlanta, GA. On our most recent visit we noticed that we had some rodent intrusion as well as some un-welcomed wildlife who decided to make our vacation home their home.
We contacted Critter Control and Mr. Cahoon was quick to set up an appointment as we wouldn’t be in town very long. He came out and assessed our issues. He informed us of our options to both eradicate and control future intrusions. Keeping in mind that wildlife is wildlife! He quickly got to work eradicating the rodents and wildlife from our home and addressing the intrusion issues. We feel much better leaving our vacation home for periods at a time knowing that Mr. Cahoon and Critter Control did their job and did it right! Thanks again!
We bought an old cabin last spring , it was used for years as a summer vacation cabin, therefore maintenance wasn’t a priority. After our project to remodel started, we found evidence of
mice droppings.
We immediately called Critter Control and they came and gave us a reasonable estimate to remove all remnants and insulation. They sanitized and replaced with new insulation and sealing up points of entry .
Seeing their professional work made us feel confident and secure that the problem was solved ! Everyone we worked with continued to show professional and respectful work. Highly recommend this company! We continue to use critter control monthly to be sure we are mice and bug free!
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