Squirrels and mice are two rodents known to be quite the pests and can cause great annoyance and damage to your property. These animals are quite similar in size and build and their droppings can be easily mistaken for one another. With such a great degree of similarity, it can be challenging to identify which animals you are dealing with; therefore, the key is to look beyond the droppings and learn to identify individual behavioral patterns. There are some fundamental differences in appearance between squirrel and mouse droppings, although they will vary slightly depending on the animal species.
Size
If you are looking at droppings that have fallen on a hard surface, the first thing to look at is the size of the dropping. Mouse droppings are generally quite small and may measure approximately 1/4″ in terms of diameter and 3/4″ in terms of length. If you are looking to identify squirrel droppings on a hard surface, they will measure approximately 1/8″ in diameter and 3/8″ in length. Of course, this will vary depending on the size of the animal that left the droppings.
Shape and Form
Mice leave droppings that are rounded in shape, while squirrels leave droppings that are elongated but round in the edges. Squirrel droppings are coffee bean-shaped and have one end of the dropping that is blunt and rounded. This is in contrast to mouse droppings which are shaped like raisins and have a bulging middle section that points toward the tip of the dropping.
Amount of Poop
Generally speaking, mouse droppings are much smaller in size, and there will be significantly fewer of them. Squirrel droppings will usually be larger in size, although there will not always be as much dropping. Squirrel droppings are usually in piles, and they may leave the droppings in the same place as time goes by. Mice droppings are scattered around, and mice usually leave behind a dropping when they are on the move.
Color
Since mouse droppings and squirrel droppings are almost impossible to miss, it is important to look beyond the color of the dropping. Squirrel droppings have a light brown to a black color and they will usually be more granular in texture. Mouse droppings are not as varied in color and most of them will have a light yellow to brown color.
The size and appearance of mouse droppings and squirrel droppings are close, but they are not identical. If you want to be sure that you are dealing with a rodent problem, it is important to look at more than one factor. Professionals in pest control services may be able to provide a more detailed analysis of the droppings.