Mouse dropping is a headache and here is how to identify mouse poop and dispose of it safely. If you have come across mouse and rat droppings or mice poops in the past, chances are you have just swept them up and out with the dirt and dust of every day without knowing.
That’s really a bad idea since they can carry a wide variety of diseases that are harmful to humans, and many of these diseases spread by breathing in dust that has been infected with mouse feces or urine.
Diseases Spread by Mice and Rats
Although there is no need to panic when you see a rat or a mice poop in your home, rodent drops can be potentially dangerous. Here are some of the diseases that can spread if you fail to wear rubber gloves when handling rodents or their drops. Don’t touch your nose, ears, or mouth, and always wash your hands (even with protection) once you’re done.
- Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome) is a respiratory disease caused by stirring up air polluted with rodent feces. (Evite the fall to sweep up!)
- Leptospirosis is a bacterial infection that you or your pet may get from coming into contact with water, food, or soil containing rodent urine.
- Lymphocytic choriomeningitis is a rodent-borne neurological disease that may occur either directly from a mouse bite or when a cut or scrape on the skin comes into contact with rodent urine or feces.
- Rat-bite fever is a bacterial infection caused by contact with disease-bearing rats, their drops, or polluted water.
- Salmonellosis is an illness that can be caused by eating or consuming food or water contaminated with rat feces.
Rat Poop vs. Mouse Poop
What does rat poop look like as compared to mouse poop? The below article will show you how to identify the mouse poop when you see it. It’s each pellet is only 1⁄8 to 1⁄4 inch long, shaped like rice, and narrow at either end or both. One mouse can produce 50 to 75 drops in a single day. The rat drops are larger—1⁄2 to 3⁄4 inch long—are black, and both ends are pointed.
How to Handle Mouse and Rat Droppings
You may notice infection and once you notice an infestation, follow these well-known guidelines to get rid of mouse poop safely:
You ventilate the place.
Letting the fresh air in for half an hour or so will go a long way towards helping to get rid of the pollutants in the air that might be polluted.
Don’t touch the drops of your mouse with your bare hands.
Don’t touch the drops of your mouse with your bare hands. Instead, wear a long-sleeved shirt, protective gloves, and a mask. When you have finished washing, remove the gloves, and wash your hands and clothes thoroughly with soap and warm water.
Spray infected surfaces with bleach-based or household disinfectants.
You can make your own with a 1:10 ratio of bleach to the water. Spray hard surfaces, allowing the disinfectant to stay for at least 5 minutes. Be sure to throw away contaminated cardboard and other stuff.
Don’t stir it up.
Clean and disinfect, Sweep, and vacuum. Instead, carefully pick up the disinfected drops with a paper towel and place them in a plastic container. Continue spraying and cleaning down the polluted surface.
Mop and wash it up.
Clean flooring with the same 1:10 bleach solution or household disinfectant. Wash the clothes, towels, and bedding in the washing machine, using the hottest possible soap and water.
Safely dispose of your nest.
Spray nests with bleached water, wait at least 5 minutes, then carefully position nests and nesting materials in a plastic bag. Always double bag and seal before you throw away in a covered trash can.
How to Get Rid of Rats and Mice
Of course, you’re still going to want to take action to get rid of the rat, leaving all the drops behind. Here’s what you need to do:
Fix the holes and seal the gaps.
Fix, caulk, and fill the holes in and around the building with steel wool and sealant to help keep mice and other rodents away. Keep an eye out for dime holes around pipes, vents, and fireplaces.
Don’t give them what they want to do.
Mice and rats have two things to do: food and shelter. Be sure to clean up spills, remove leftovers, and store pet food, seeds, and other dry foods in heavy-duty, lidded plastic tubs. Within the building, eliminate the clumps, clear the garbage periodically and replace the cardboard boxes with plastic bins stored off the floor. Outside, sweep up garbage and move possible hiding places like compost heaps and firewood stacks away from home. Quality cleaning will not scare the rodents away, but it won’t draw them either. This is half the fight!
Sure, now you know how to clean your mouse poop safely, but who wants to do that on a daily (or ever) basis? When you’ve got rid of the mice in your house, keep them out so you don’t have to clean them up again.