Mouse or Rat? How to Tell From Droppings, Sounds and Damage

Mouse droppings are small and pointed, roughly like grains of rice or smaller. Rat droppings are larger and blunter. Fresh ones are dark and soft, old ones are gray and crumbly. Where they appear also helps. Mice leave them in drawers, cabinets and along baseboards. Rats leave them near runways, attics and burrows.

Mouse tooth marks are small and fine, and rat marks are larger and rougher. Both chew soft materials, wiring and food packaging. Rats can chew through wood and some metal sheeting more easily. Fresh gnawing looks pale, old gnawing darkens.

• Burrows roughly two inches across by foundations or sheds suggest rats.
• Smooth runways through grass or along fences suggest rats.
• Seed hulls under feeders can feed both.
• Tracks in dust or soft soil near walls help confirm activity.

A burrow in a yard is a strong rat sign. Photograph it and call before filling it.

Mice fit through tiny gaps and take to traps fast. Rats shy from new objects and need tougher sealing materials, so the work often takes several visits. The pages on mouse control and rat control spell out the differences. If you cannot tell which you have, an inspection names the animal.

Phone as soon as you find fresh droppings or gnawing, or hear sounds that recur. Tell us what, where and when. Keep the broom off dry droppings, and keep children and pets clear of the spot.

Go through the house with a flashlight and a notebook. Look under sinks, behind the stove and fridge, along garage walls and around the attic hatch. Record the size and color of droppings, any gnaw marks and where each turned up. Wear gloves for any waste.

Then go outside. Look along the foundation, around sheds and under decks for burrows or smooth runways. A few photos and a rough sketch of where you found things give the dispatcher a head start.

Not every sound or mark is a mouse or a rat. Squirrels, bats, birds, chipmunks and loose building parts can all mimic them. If the signs do not match the lists above, say so on the call, and the walk-through will sort it out. Closing the wrong gap for the wrong animal wastes time, and a proper identification avoids that.

Keep food sealed, pick up pet bowls overnight and take out trash. Do not set poison. If you want to set a trap yourself, keep it away from children and pets and check it often. A visit still helps, because trapping without sealing only removes some of the animals.

Write down the date you first noticed signs, and note whether they are growing. That timeline tells the technician how fast to move, and it helps explain what you found if you need to talk to a landlord or neighbor.