Stains from mice and droppings can be two of the most disgusting things you’ll see that mice leave behind. The reason is that there will be no doubt where the mice have been traveling most frequently. Many times it’s in the most frequented places in your home like the kitchen.
If you want to know how bad your mouse problem is, go in your basement and take a look around. The first thing to look for would be mouse droppings (fecal matter). Mice are not only prolific breeders, but also prolific poopers. It sounds funny to say, but over my career I’ve seen homes and businesses that have so many droppings it’s hard to believe that the owners neglected it for as long as they had.
Disease and identification
The mouse dropping like most fecal matter carries disease. The most notable is hantavirus from deer mice which mimics an upper respiratory disease. Mouse droppings are about the size of the tip of a sharpened pencil and will be found in heavily visited areas.
Browns spots on the walls
Another sign of mice that you should look for are brown stains (sebum). These stains are the oils from the fur of the mouse. In the picture to the left sebum is clearly visible.
The other two portions of this picture that you should be noticing would be the entrance into the basement and the fact that these particular mice are climbing a wall. Sebum can also be left on basement wires, corners of concrete floors and along brick edges.
Cleaning brown spots and droppings from mice
The first reaction that most people have to droppings from mice is to clean. The problem is that droppings and stains should be cleaned in a very particular manner. The process for cleaning is as follows
- Wear upper respiratory protection
- Spray with a bleach water mix or other appropriate disinfectant
- Wait 10-15 minutes
- Wipe up droppings with a damp cloth with a hand covered by a protective glove
- Scrub away stains with warm soapy water
The droppings left behind by mice can give you a clue as to where mice are most active. These areas are a great place to start a control program. Brown stains can also give insight as to where rodents may be entering and exiting a building.
Cleaning is the last step of any rodent control program.
If you see brown stains from rodents, call Envirocare Pest Control at 1-888-879-6481. We can help.
