News
How do I tell the difference between rat and mouse droppings?
A common question I get when home owners find rodent droppings is are they from a mouse or a rat?. So, how do you tell the difference between mouse and rat droppings?
Mouse droppings are usually around 5mm in length and are black or brown in colour. They are very similar in size and shape to a small grain of rice. Mouse droppings can be found in any area that they have explored and in greater numbers in areas they are spending a lot of time, behind furniture and fridges or under kitchen units etc. Mice can produce up to 80 droppings a day and will drop them as they explore, so they will often be scattered around.
Mouse droppings are often confused with bat droppings so if you find droppings in a roof space an extra check is needed. Unlike mouse droppings, bat droppings crumble easily when rubbed between your fingers. Bats are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. So if you find bat droppings exit the roof space quickly and visit. https://www.bats.org.uk/advice/living-with-bats for more information.
Rat droppings are much larger, usually around 12mm. Rats unlike mice often leave droppings in one area however this is not always the case. Rats will produce around 40 droppings each day.
Rat droppings can be confused for grey squirrel droppings and can be difficult to differentiate. But generally squirrel droppings tend to be rounder and without a tapered end. Also consider the location, squirrels often move into lofts and roof spaces as do rats however, droppings at low level for example in the kitchen will usually be left by rats.
Check out my pages on what rat control and mouse control services I provide.