What Is the Proper Way to Identify Rodent Droppings?

Rodents and other pests usually carry bacteria that can cause food-borne illnesses. The rat you saw climbing around in your dumpster is likely the same one you might have seen scurrying across a countertop or disappearing into the back of a pantry. 

Rats aren’t just a nuisance in your home—they’re also huge health hazards. They’re smart and sneaky, so they’re difficult to detect sometimes. The most significant sign of an invading rat is the evident presence of their droppings—but what do those look like, exactly?

Identifying Rodent Droppings

Wildlife enthusiasts and the like are sure to have no issues when it comes to being able to identify droppings from a rodent. Chances are they can even track a rodent across long distances! However, that's not the case for most of us. Here is some key information that can help you properly identify rodent droppings:

Color

A rat’s droppings are usually black. Typically, the blacker the droppings are, the fresher they are. You can use this to tell whether or not you're looking at an old infestation or one that's ongoing. If the droppings are black, you may be dealing with a current infestation. Older infestations will render dried out, graying droppings instead.

Shape

Rat droppings are often in the shape of a sausage; others are more of a pill. A noticeable pinch may also come through on either end. This gives a dropping a pointed look.

Size

There is no singular size when it comes to rat droppings. That's because rat droppings can vary depending on the rat's age and their species. 

Find multiple droppings in one area? Chances are it'll be easier for droppings left by immature rats to be ruled out. That way, you can tell with certainty if there is actually a rat issue to contend with in the first place.

To identify the creature that left the droppings, you first need to find out what creature it is. Droppings that are smaller than a single grain of rice on a consistent basis are likely cockroach or mouse droppings.

It should be noted that rat and mouse droppings are similar but not the same thing. Size is well and truly what sets them apart, as rat droppings are typically larger.

Moisture

Fresh droppings have a tendency to be moist. On top of that, they're highly likely to have some kind of shine. A good way to check the freshness of a dropping is by using a simple tool: a pencil! Squish it and observe how it reacts. Old droppings will simply crumble, and new ones will be a little more firm.

Quantity

Although rats have been shown to have a greater tendency than mice to leave feces lying around, both species will create stools wherever they please. A typical rat will produce 35 to 50 droppings a day, while a typical mouse will leave 70 to 150. In either case, the sight of feces is a sign of rodent infestation.

Don't underestimate quantity as a factor: there are even professionals who can estimate how many mice or rats are in the structure by looking at dropping quantities!

Conclusion

Rodent infestations are inconvenient, and they pose a significant health hazard. A good way to determine whether it's happening is through droppings. Identify rodent droppings through factors like size, color, and quantity.

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