Finding mouse poop is never a pleasant surprise. Deal with it carefully because it could contain rare but dangerous diseases you don’t want to catch.
First, get a positive ID on the mouse poop by seeing that it looks like a dark rice grain with tapered ends, usually located in clusters near where mice travel or eat. Next, put on your rubber gloves, open windows and doors, and spray the mouse poop with disinfectant, letting it sit for at least five minutes. Then, wipe the disinfected droppings with disposable towels and throw them into a sealable trash bag. Finally, spray more disinfectant on the area where you found the mouse poop and scrub or mop it clean.
Taking these steps will keep you safe from mouse poop. Keep reading to learn more about the best ways to deal with mouse poop. See also my articles: “Backyard Animal Poop Identification – Most Common Types,” “How To Get Rid Of Prairie Dogs,” “What is The Largest Rodent in The USA?” and “How Long Do Mosquito Bites Last?“
What Does Mouse Poop Look Like?
Mouse droppings resemble tiny, dark brown or black granular pellets. When produced by adult mice, these pellets are approximately a quarter of an inch long.
They exhibit tapered ends and look like seeds or dark rice grains. Initially, these pellets have a black hue that gradually fades over time. Over the initial week, the pellets transition from black to brown before eventually adopting a greyish tone.
Mice can deposit anywhere between 50 to 75 pellets per day. Since mice defecate while moving about, it’s typical to discover their poops along their pathways within a residence and near food sources.
What To Do If You Find Mouse Droppings
First, you must learn to trap mice and keep them out of the space. Cleaning mouse poop won’t keep you safe unless you stop the mice from returning to leave more surprises. Then, you can deal with the poop itself.
The biggest concern with cleaning up mouse poop is that airborne germs particles could get kicked into the air and fly into your lungs. To stop this, soak the mouse poop you see in disinfectant to stop any particles from mixing with the air.
Don’t panic if you discover mouse poop. Instead, stay calm and follow these steps to clean it up safely and efficiently:
Step 1:
Wear rubber or plastic gloves.
Step 2:
Open windows and doors to allow air circulation around the area.
Step 3:
Apply a bleach solution or an EPA-registered disinfectant generously onto the urine and droppings until thoroughly saturated, stopping dust from releasing into the air. Allow it to sit for 5 minutes or as indicated on the disinfectant label.
Step 4:
Wipe and soak up the urine, droppings, and the cleaning solution with paper towels.
Step 5:
Dispose of the used paper towels in a sealable plastic garbage bag.
Step 6:
Mop or sponge the affected area with another round of disinfectant liquid. Scrub vigorously on all solid surfaces nearby, including floors, countertops, cabinets, and drawers.
Step 7:
Throw away your rubber gloves in a sealable plastic bag.
Step 8:
Clean your hands using soap and warm water or an alcohol hand sanitizer.
Does Vinegar Disinfect Mouse Droppings?
White vinegar is an effective disinfectant for mouse droppings. It’s probably the second-best household product for this purpose, next to chlorine bleach.
You can use vinegar in Step 3 from the instructions for cleaning mouse droppings. It might be wise to let vinegar sit for 30 minutes after applying it to ensure it has time to kill pathogens.
Also, the vinegar’s strong acidity might damage some surfaces, and you should use caution when you apply it. But, the top priority is killing germs inside mouse poop and staying safe.
Should You Vacuum Mouse Poop?
You should never vacuum or sweep mouse poop. These cleaning methods can send germ particles into the air that could enter your body. Even vacuums with strong filters will likely kick up dust from droppings or urine that could harbor diseases.
I Accidentally Vacuumed Mouse Droppings – What Should I Do?
If you’ve already vacuumed some mouse poop, don’t worry. The risks of developing severe illness are low. However, you should monitor your health and see a doctor if you develop cold or flu-like symptoms.
Empty your vacuum carefully without letting dust particles escape. If possible, wet the canister with disinfectant before tossing out the contents.
Then, spray all parts of your vacuum with disinfectant. Wait a week before using your vacuum cleaner again.
How Long Do Mouse Droppings Remain Infectious?
Average survival time for most germs in mouse poop is between two and four days, depending on environmental conditions, especially temperature. Colder temps might allow bacteria and viruses to stay active longer.
Unfortunately, waiting out pathogens in mouse poop might not be a good strategy for staying safe. You would have to exclude all mice from pooping in the area to be sure no fresh germs accumulate.
The CDC recommends that if you can’t disinfect items with liquid disinfectants, you can leave them in the sun for several hours or isolate them from rodents for a minimum of three weeks (longer is better) to be sure no infectious agents remain.
Chances Of Getting Sick From Mouse Droppings
Overall, the chances of contracting a disease from mouse poop are small. But, anytime you deal with droppings, you will be at a higher risk than the general population, making it critical to exercise caution.
The Centers for Disease Control started tracking hantavirus infection in 1993. Up to 2021, a total of 850 cases had been reported nationwide. This is a tiny number of sicknesses compared with the 300 million plus population of the USA.
You could get other illnesses from mouse poop, but those aren’t tracked, like hantavirus, and statistics are difficult to come by. Ultimately, you’re unlikely to get sick from mouse droppings in the USA.
I Touched Mouse Poop With Bare Hands…
If you accidentally touch mouse poop, take precautions to minimize potential health risks. First, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds. Avoid touching your face, mouth, or food until your hands are clean.
Next, monitor yourself for signs of illness over the next two weeks. Some symptoms to look out for include:
- Fever
- Chills
- Headaches
- Stomach pain
- Fatigue
If you experience any unusual symptoms, seek medical attention, especially in areas with high mouse-related illnesses.
Which Diseases Can You Get From Mouse Poop?
Mouse droppings can harbor various diseases that pose risks to human health. These diseases are primarily transmitted through contact with contaminated droppings, inhalation of airborne particles, or consuming contaminated food or water.
A few common diseases associated with mouse droppings are:
Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS)
Hantavirus is present in the urine, droppings, and infected rodent saliva, including mice. Disturbing dried droppings(often occurring during cleaning) can aerosolize the virus, and inhaling these particles can lead to HPS.
Symptoms include fever, muscle aches, fatigue, and severe respiratory distress. This is one of the scariest infections from mice, with up to 60% fatality rates and no proven treatment.
Leptospirosis (Weil’s Disease)
Leptospirosis is caused by bacteria found in the urine of infected animals, including mice. Contact with contaminated water, soil, or surfaces can lead to infection.
Symptoms range from mild fever and muscle pain to severe manifestations such as kidney and liver damage. Disinfecting surfaces before cleaning them is your best defense against leptospirosis when dealing with mouse poop.
Salmonella (Salmonellosis)
Mice can carry and shed Salmonella bacteria through their droppings. Ingesting food or water contaminated with these bacteria can lead to salmonellosis, characterized by symptoms like diarrhea, fever, abdominal cramps, and vomiting.
Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis (LCMV)
LCMV is a viral infection transmitted through direct contact with mouse droppings, urine, or saliva. Inhaling aerosolized particles from contaminated materials can also lead to infection.
Symptoms range from mild flu-like illness to severe neurological complications. Luckily, LCMV rarely infects people, and you’re unlikely to have any symptoms from exposure if you have a normally functioning immune system.
Tularemia (Rabbit Fever)
Tularemia is a bacterial infection. Mice can carry and spread this bacterium through their droppings and dust that could be kicked into the air while cleaning.
Most people get exposed to tularemia through ticks or other insect bites. Symptoms include fever, ulcers, swollen lymph nodes, and, in severe cases, pneumonia.
Rat-Bite Fever
While less common, rat-bite fever can be transmitted through contact with contaminated mouse droppings, urine, or saliva. It can also be transmitted via a bite from an infected rodent. Symptoms include fever, joint pain, rash, and, in some cases, severe complications.
Plague (Black Death)
Although rare, mice can carry the fleas that transmit Yersinia pestis bacteria, which causes plague. Fleas bite infected rodents and then can bite humans, transmitting the bacteria.
Plague can lead to symptoms like fever, chills, weakness, and swollen lymph nodes. Fortunately, plague is extremely rare in the USA, averaging about seven cases yearly.
Is It Safe To Sleep In A Room With Mouse Droppings?
It’s not safe to sleep in a room with mouse poop in it. The closer you come to mouse droppings, the more likely you will get infected with a disease.
However, it’s not the end of the world if you discover mouse poop after sleeping somewhere. You can monitor your health for signs of illness, but most infections occur from direct contact with mice and their poop, improper cleaning methods, or exposure to heavy infestations.
Overall, avoiding sleeping in a room with mouse droppings is best.