Mouse droppings: photo and description of excrement, their proper disposal
Everyone has encountered mice at least once in their life. These small and seemingly harmless animals are very fond of settling near people, as this provides them with a regular source of food in the form of scraps and food supplies. The appearance of mice is always accompanied by the appearance of litter in their places of residence.
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What does mouse droppings look like?
Granules of mouse droppings are outwardly similar to small black rice grains. Compared to rats, they are much smaller and have a pointed shape at the edges.
If mice appear in a house, apartment or any other room, then traces of their vital activity can be seen everywhere. Unlike rats, which always defecate in the same place, mice do it practically on the go. At the same time, one small mouse can lay 50 to 75 litter pellets per day.
See the link for a description rat droppings.
What to do if you find mouse droppings
If mouse droppings are still found, you should be very careful with it. It must never be touched with bare hands, swept or vacuumed. Mice, like rats, are carriers of many dangerous diseases, and one of the ways in which humans are infected with these viruses is mouse droppings.
Why is mouse droppings dangerous?
Mouse poop.
Not only people, but also pets can become infected through mouse droppings. Most often, mice are carriers of the following diseases:
- salmonellosis;
- leptospirosis;
- lymphocytic choriomeningitis;
- typhoid fever;
- hantavirus.
The latter is considered the most dangerous disease and can be fatal to humans.
The main carrier of hantavirus is the deer mouse, but the common house mouse can also be a carrier.
Ways of transmission and signs of hantavirus
From a rodent to a human, hantavirus can be transmitted in the following ways:
- airborne;
- in contact with hands;
- through bites;
- through food.
The first signs that may indicate the presence of a dangerous infection in the body are:
- diarrhea;
- nausea;
- headache;
- fever;
- abdominal pain;
- muscle pain.
Everywhere. They are not characterized by cleanliness and they cannot even shit in one place in their own home.
Theoretically, decorative mice are bred in the laboratory and should not be carriers of diseases. But only if they are purchased from a trusted place.
How to clean up mouse droppings
Cleaning up mouse feces can be quite dangerous and should be taken very seriously. To safely dispose of rodent waste products, follow these guidelines:
- 30 minutes before cleaning, it is necessary to ventilate the room well. All windows and doors in the room must be opened wide, as the virus may be in the air
- Before cleaning, wear personal protective equipment such as a protective mask with a filter cartridge and rubber gloves.
- All possible places for the stay of rodents must be treated with a sufficient amount of disinfectant.
- Paper towels are perfect for cleaning various surfaces from mouse droppings. After use, they must be collected in a plastic bag, tightly tied and thrown into the trash.
- Gloves and rags should also be disinfected or discarded after work. Hands and clothes that have been cleaned should be washed with a mild disinfectant.
- If mouse droppings need to be cleaned up in a farm animal facility, it is also very important to sanitize all surfaces.
- Sawdust or straw in which traces of mouse droppings were found must be thrown away or burned. The same goes for livestock feed containers in which rodent feces have been found. All food from them will have to be thrown away.
- Animals can only be allowed indoors after all treated surfaces have dried.
Conclusion
Cleaning up mouse droppings is very important and will help protect all family members from dangerous diseases. But, it is very important to do everything right and listen to all the recommendations about this. And for those who are afraid that they will not be able to cope with such a task on their own, there are many specialized companies that can handle both the cleaning of mouse excrement and the elimination of the pests themselves.
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