Mouse Droppings: What To Do If You Find Them In Your Home

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They're everyone's favorite thing to find in their house! At first glance, you might think you're looking at some old grains of rice. However, when you go to sweep them up, you notice it's not remnants of last night's dinner. It's mouse droppings. Up close, there is no mistaking the firm, dark pieces that taper at the ends and are roughly 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch long. The first step after finding mouse droppings in your home is to dispose of them properly. After you've gotten rid of them, you should explore the area to discover how the mouse accessed it. From there, you can seal up the vulnerable places, and set a few humane traps to relocate any stragglers. 

These droppings can carry serious infections, like hantavirus and salmonellosis. So you really do want to wear a mask and gloves when cleaning up mouse droppings (but not the same gloves you wash dishes with!). To dispose of them properly, start by opening doors and windows to ventilate the area. Then, cover the droppings with bleach or another disinfectant, and after a few minutes, use a paper towel to scoop up the droppings. Place the paper inside a small plastic bag, tie it off, and throw that away, too. Thoroughly clean their resting spot (and surrounding area) with disinfectant. Any supplies used to clean up the droppings should also be thrown away. Finish by taking out the main trash, too. 

Once the droppings are cleaned up, the next step is to mouse-proof the area. If you found them in your kitchen, this could be a sign you aren't storing your food well. Move bags and boxes into sealed containers, like the Vtopmart Airtight Food Storage Containers with Lids and be sure to keep things off the countertops. If food is not easily accessible, mice are less likely to stick around. Check along your walls and baseboards for gaps, as these can serve as entrance points for mice and other pests. Seal these with wooden pieces or caulk — a tip for the perfect caulk job every time is preparation. Cleaner jobs are more likely to keep mice out, so it's worth the time spent. 

The final piece of the puzzle is engaging in a little bit of humane pest control. To prevent finding any more mouse droppings in your home, you need to make sure that there aren't any mice currently present inside. In the past, spring traps and glue traps were popular. However, these types of traps are inhumane as they don't always kill the animals right away. Instead, it suffers while it is dying. In addition, the animal can soil itself, which leads to further disease risk for humans and household pets. Catch and release traps, like the Motel Mouse Humane No Kill Mouse Traps, allow you to rid your home of mice without causing harm.