Rat Poop Photos
It's important that you identify the feces left behind by nuisance wildlife before beginning exclusion work, trapping, or extermination, no matter the species. Here's our guide to identifying rat poop and some examples of the damage it can cause. If you are going to perform your own rat trapping and exclusion, or if you are going to hire a professional, take care not to get too close to the feces, breathe the air around it, or let it get in contact with your skin.
Damage Caused by Rat Feces
Wildlife excrement can destroy insulation and drywall quickly once there is a large amount of it concentrated in one place. A large amount of excrement and urine from rats and other rodents can be detrimental to the health of people living inside the home, and cause disgusting stains on the underside of the paneling that faces the living space. Rat feces can contain or attract insect pests that can spread from these small mammals to humans, although these cases are rare. However rare, insect bites from rat bugs can leave raised, itchy welts and should be cleaned immediately.
Rat Feces and Urine Odor
While their excrement is not as pungent as some other wildlife, the waste of small rodents can be extremely overwhelming in a small space. If liquid and solid waste begin to pile up due to the presence of a large rat colony, you may be able to smell it from inside the home if they are living in the attic or crawlspace. The likelihood of having a strong odor of rat feces inside the home increases greatly if the feces and urine have begun to soak into the ceiling.
Safety Concerns with Rat and Rodent Feces
Like many other creatures, the feces of rats can be host to diseases and make humans and household pets ill. Make sure that small children in your home know not to play with this filthy mess left behind by mice or rats, and that you don't allow your animals to inspect their liquid or solid waste. Household cats from time to time will trap one of these creatures and kill it, but they are not likely to go inspecting their feces or places they have marked in urine. Dogs, on the other hand, are too curious for their own good and will likely want to inspect piles of droppings and follow urine trails. Discourage this behavior.