How To Tell Which Pest Are In Your Home By Their Droppings

Figuring out which pest you have in your home just got a whole lot easier. You don’t need any expensive testing kits or an ear horn. All you need is evidence of their droppings. 

In this post, we take a closer look at how to tell the pests you have in your home from their poop. Here’s what you’ll want to look for: 

Tiny Rice-Shaped Pellets

If you notice tiny rice-shaped pellets around your home, it usually means you have a mouse problem. Sometimes, these are isolated, and other times, they can come out in the form of a string (that looks a bit like a line of sausages). 

The more of these you see, the more mice you have. Usually, they’ll run along walls, since mice like to stay at the edge of the room. They can also accumulate in specific areas under floorboards and behind pantries. 

Larger Capsules

If you notice larger capsules, you may need to call pest control to help you with a rat issue. Rat poop is usually dark brown but more rounded off at the ends than mouse pellets. It’s also physically larger, as you might expect. 

Rats have a slightly different digestive system from mice, which also tends to produce high levels of the chemical ammonia. Therefore, if you smell this but can’t see pellets, but can see scratching along the walls, that could also be a strong indication of rats. 

Light Dusting

Cockroaches poop like mice and rats, but it is harder to see. It usually takes the form of pepper-like specks on the ground. 

If you have a serious cockroach problem, these specks will be on elevated surfaces. Usually, roaches will come out at night and run along countertops and behind cupboards. If you see a fresh dusting in the morning, it is almost certainly cockroach-related. 

Black Ink Spots

If you see black ink spots, it could be bed bugs. These leave these dark residues on your linens, due to the way they metabolise their food. 

As with most insect droppings, you’ll usually find these in clusters. More often than not, they’re in locations where they feed on your dead skin, often where your back would be on the bed. 

If you see blood smears from you, that’s also an indication that you have bedbugs. Fortunately, you can fumigate to get rid of them quickly. 

Hexagonal Pellets

Hexagonal pellets are confusing when you first see them because they don’t always look natural. However, they come from termites, who usually chew on the wood in your home. 

You should see these pellets in holes chewed in wood. They tend to accumulate the longer the termites remain in them. Make sure you deal with termites quickly, as they can seriously damage your property. 

Larger Oval Pellets 

Finally, if you see larger oval pellets around half an inch, that’s usually a sign that squirrels have somehow made their way into your home. You’re most likely to find these in places like the attic, well away from humans.