Mice Droppings
Are Mice Droppings Dangerous?
Not only mice droppings, but all animal feces, are unsafe and unsanitary. There are certain dangers present wherever fecal matter or urine is deposited, and you will want to be quite diligent about keeping it away from your living space and your family. Mice droppings can be particularly difficult to deal with, as they are quite small and can be left just about anywhere. Defecation often happens in the places that you care about the most, such as inside of silverware drawers and on shelves where your food is stored. Worse yet, when left undetected, the germs within the feces are capable of spreading even further onto boxes, bags, floors, and tables.
Mice droppings tend to be medium brown to black in color, mostly depending on the food sources available to the rodent, and also on how old the deposit is. These thin little pellets take the shape and size of a small grain of white rice. Where there are droppings, there is bound to be urine close by, so sterilizing the entire area will be important. In order to clean the feces without touching or spreading it, you may want to dab it up unto a moistened paper towel and then wrap it up tight before disposing of it outdoors. You can place the soiled towel in plastic if this gives you more peace of mind, just be sure not to toss it in your home trash can.
Sterilization is your next step, but first we’ll discuss why. Mice droppings can carry a great many potentially hazardous viruses, bacteria, and other airborne contaminants. These include but are not limited to Hantavirus, spotted fever, typhoid, salmonella, e coli, and intestinal parasites. The more a mouse muddles around near the feces of humans and other animals, the more likely he is to either contract or to carry these illnesses. Mice droppings will deposit many of these issues wherever they are left, and you must be prepared to protect yourself from contacting them.
Using long rubber gloves and a rag that you can throw away when you have finished, you will want to use a strong antibacterial solvent. Bleach works really well if the surface will tolerate it, and if not you can use ammonia or a color safe disinfectant spray. Begin toward the outside of the effected area and begin to work your way inward. You can leave the disinfectant to sit on the area for five to ten minutes in order for it to do its job properly. Wipe the area with a clean, absorbent towel and then throw everything away that you used on the mice droppings. Repeat these steps everywhere that feces has been spotted.