Identifying Mouse Versus Rat Droppings

Having any sort of pest problem in your home can be very stressful and leaves you feeling upset and annoyed. Rodents are one of the most common pest problems in London that we deal with on a daily basis.

Finding any sort of rodent droppings in your home can be really confusing. This is because of what type of pest may have left them. A lot of us will need help identifying mouse droppings and rat droppings, because of how similar they are.

However, if you know what to look for, there are some big differences you will be able to spot. Now we will warn you, you’ll have to get up close and personal with the poo! But it’s really important that you do so you can identify what type of rodent control problem you have. Then you can decide what to do next, and figure out your options for rodent extermination.

Here is our guide on identifying mouse versus rat droppings, and the differences you will be able to stop to help you identify your rodent type.

• Size – Because you probably haven’t spotted the rodent who is leaving the droppings, you can note the size of them to tell which rodent might be infesting your home. Mouse droppings are normally around 6mm in length, whereas rat droppings are significantly bigger at around 19mm.
• Colour – The time the droppings have been left determines what colour they will be. If droppings have been there for a longer length of time, they will be lighter in colour. Whereas fresh droppings are almost black. Mice and rats have the same colour droppings, so it’s not a very good identifier.
• Quantity – Mice poo, a lot! If you’ve all of a sudden found hundreds of droppings in your home, remember that a handful of mice even spending an hour there could produce such a mess. Rats don’t poo as much as mice do, around 40-50 pellets a day compared to 70 in mice. So if there’s more droppings present, you’re probably dealing with a mouse.

When dealing with rodents, you have to remember that the droppings are very dangerous. A lot of different disease can be transferred through rodent faeces. If you plan on handling any droppings, make sure to wear protective clothing including a face mask. Afterwards, you must clean and disinfect the area fully.