Squirrels are one of the most common creatures on Earth. Although there are more than 200 species of squirrels worldwide, only five live in North America: ground squirrels, fox squirrels, flying squirrels, gray squirrels, and red fox squirrels. It wouldn't be a far leap to say that where there are trees, there are squirrels. And where there are squirrels, there is squirrel poop.
For the most part, people consider squirrels to be adorable and cuddly creatures. We love watching them scamper about, collecting food and chasing one another up and down trees. We can even admire their industrious nature, finding and storing nuts and seeds away for when they’ll need them most. But, squirrels are still rodents and bring many of the same health concerns that rodents such as rats and mice carry.
What Do Squirrel Droppings Look Like?
Squirrel droppings are similar in size to jellybeans or raisins and range from 5 to 8 mm in length. Squirrel droppings look much the same as rat poop or mouse droppings with a few differences. They are similar in size, but squirrel poop is rounder than that of a rat. It has more rounded tips with a slight bulge in the middle. It also is less uniform in shape and size than a rat’s poop.
Because a squirrel’s diet is different than rats or mice, their poop is predominantly brown like rodents but can contain a range of colors such as light brown, reddish, or greenish. In addition, the brown pellets lighten and dry up as they age.
They usually get scattered about as the rodents run and easily blend in with the soil due to their light brown coloration. As tree-dwelling creatures, squirrels often use hollow crevices in tree trunks as toilets. Droppings are generally pill-shaped and cylindrical in appearance, sometimes with tapered ends.
Health Concerns of Squirrel Poop
Squirrels can carry a range of different diseases and parasites, many of which are transmitted through their feces and urine. And unlike some nuisance animals that designate a place to poop, squirrels will defecate as they walk, so it will be all over wherever you have an infestation—not confined to one specific area.
These are a few examples of health concerns associated with squirrel droppings:
- Salmonellosis can be transmitted to humans by inhalation or eating food that has been contaminated with squirrel droppings. It is a bacteria that causes fever, abdominal cramping, vomiting, and diarrhea.
- Leptospirosis is also a bacteria found in squirrel poop and urine spread to humans through contaminated food or water. Symptoms vary from mild flu to severe respiratory issues.
- Roundworm is an internal parasite that can be ingested by humans if food has been contaminated by squirrel droppings. Symptoms include fever, abdominal pain, vomiting, cough, restlessness, and sleep disturbance.
- Sylvatic Typhus is a disease associated with close contact with squirrels that can cause rash, fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, and confusion.
- Tularemia is an infectious disease of the skin, eyes, lymph nodes, and lungs.
How to Clean Up Squirrel Droppings
Squirrel poop that is located on an outdoor deck or patio can be washed away with a hose.
Cleaning up squirrel poop from an attic or other indoor space will not be effective until the squirrels themselves are eradicated. If you're attempting to clean up squirrel poop on your own, wearing rubber gloves and a face mask is imperative to lessen the spread of disease and parasites. Once the feces are removed, use an antibacterial and disinfecting cleaning product in warm water and scrubbing tools.
The most effective method to clean up squirrel droppings is to call in a wildlife control company that can both eradicate the squirrels and sanitize the area of infestation. This way neither you nor your family and pets will potentially be exposed to unhealthy conditions. If you're having issues with squirrel droppings, schedule an appointment with one of our expert technicians today for a detailed inspection and action plan to clean your home.
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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.
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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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