Author: Nicholas Martin

Raccoons are pretty cute creatures. However, they are not as harmless as they might seem at first glance. And their feces are especially dangerous. Since wild animals do not receive vaccinations and vitamins, they carry numerous diseases (like Leptospirosis).

Their feces and urine are simply teeming with dangerous parasites (for example, Baylisascaris procyonis or Giardia). They can infect both pets and humans, so direct contact with raccoon poop is highly undesirable.

In this article, you will find detailed information on how to detect these animal excrements, why it is dangerous, and how to get rid of it.

Raccoon Scat Identification & Cleanup Guide

Although raccoons are omnivores and can find enough food in the wild, they prefer to settle near humans, as it gives them easier access to a food source. Their excrements are dangerous for farm animals, pets, and humans.

Raccoon scat identification

A distinctive feature of these animals’ behavior is that they prefer to go to the toilet in one place. If a whole family has settled next to you, they will all poop in one corner. So, what does raccoon poop look like?

In general, I can say that their scat is similar to dog excrement. It is dark in color, usually no more than 3 inches long, has an elongated cylindrical form, and a strong smell. Their feces are just as easy to identify by pieces of berries and fruits in them.

If you find products excreted on your site that fit this description, look for pictures of raccoon feces on the Internet to make sure that a raccoon has settled near you.

Raccoon excrement dangers

You can get some serious and sometimes deadly diseases through raccoon feces.

Leptospirosis is a bacteria found in raccoon urine. If it gets on an open wound, you can easily become infected. In most cases, Leptospirosis is treatable. But it can cause kidney problems and meningitis with fatal consequences for the human body.

Salmonella is another bacterium that lives in raccoon waste and causes salmonellosis. The infection enters the body through the ingestion of food.

Giardiasis is another intestinal infection that can be contracted after contact with feces. Its treatment should take place under the supervision of specialists and in several stages since the death of microorganisms in medicine has a strong toxic effect on humans.

Roundworms (particularly Baylisascaris procyonis) are the most dangerous parasite that can be contracted from these animals. To get sick with ascariasis, you just need to inhale a pair of Ascaris eggs (you can see them on the images of raccoon poop). Roundworms affect the brain, eyes, spinal cord, causing irreversible damage to the vital systems or even death.

Raccoon poop removal

I think from the previous section, it is quite clear that getting rid of raccoon poops is a must. These animals often make latrines near large trees, fallen trunks, patios, attics, or garages.

Safety measures

Before cleaning, wear old clothes that cover your arms and legs, which will be ok to throw away. Put on thick disposable gloves on your hands and rubber boots or heavy overshoes on your feet, which you can later get rid of.

Be sure to use a respirator even if you plan to work outdoors, and even more so when cleaning indoors. I also recommend wearing glasses to protect your eyes’ mucous membrane from the accidental ingestion of bacteria.

Raccoon droppings disposal

When all the preparations are in place, follow these steps to remove poop:

1. Use an inverted plastic bag or shovel to pick up feces.
2. Place excrement in a tightly sealed bag or container. You can landfill or incinerate the packaging.
3. Remember that chemicals cannot completely kill bacteria.
4. Outdoors: treat all surfaces (including a shovel) with a propane torch or boiling water.
5. Indoors: Wipe all surfaces several times with a damp, soapy sponge. The water will need to be poured into the toilet, the bucket should be disinfected, and the sponge will need to be hermetically packed and sent to the trash.
6. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap water and use a disinfectant.
7. Wash clothes at high temperatures with detergent.

Infestation

In addition to poop, raccoons leave quite a lot of other traces, by which it is easy to calculate infestation. First, you will encounter a lot of damage: wiring, patios, walls, shingles, etc. Secondly, raccoons love to feast on human food, often climb into trash cans, and scatter the remains of food around.

Thirdly, they can cause significant damage to crops and even destroy chicken nests. All this, combined with excrement smell, paw prints, and loud fiddling in the attic or between the walls, indicates that raccoons have settled on your site.

Keep Wild Animals Away From Your Site

As you can see, not only animals themselves are dangerous, but also their scat. Do not leave food or water in accessible areas and close trash cans carefully to avoid managing raccoon damage. If they have already settled on your site, before the arrival of specialists, wash your hands thoroughly in soapy water after working outdoors. It is not recommended to try to get rid of raccoons on your own, as they are very cunning, intelligent, and vindictive creatures.

Please tell me about your experience with these pests. What signs of them did you find on your site?

References:

• Leptospirosis (Cornell University):
  https://cwhl.vet.cornell.edu/disease/leptospirosis
• Baylisascariasis (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention):
  https://www.cdc.gov/dpdx/baylisascariasis/index.html
• Raccoon Latrines: Identification and Clean-up (Center for Global Health):
  https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/baylisascaris/resources/raccoonlatrines.pdf
• Raccoons: Damage Management (Iowa State University of Science and Technology):
  https://naturalresources.extension.iastate.edu/encyclopedia/raccoons-damage-management

If you’ve detected a squirrel infestation in your attic recently, be sure that there are loads of squirrel turds around. It could be an ordinary problem, but squirrels are carriers of various diseases, and many of them are transmitted through squirrel poop and urine.

This means that you should get ready not only to deal with the infestation but also to get rid of feces in a safe way.

Prepare goggles, face mask (preferably a respirator), gloves, and hand overalls (or a long-sleeve shirt) to avoid any type of contact with spores and bacteria.

That’s a real biological hazard, so your approach must be serious. But the first thing you should do is read my guide to deal with the problem properly.

Squirrel Feces: Easy Extermination Guide

In this guide, I covered all the important aspects of the problem. Read it to learn how to identify infestations and squirrel droppings and clean the contaminated areas. Don’t forget about safety rules, and learn how to manage squirrels to avoid reinfestations.

What does squirrel poop look like?

Being able to tell squirrel scat from feces of other rodents is a key factor in deciding on which control method you have to apply. Unlike light brown, reddish, or rusty rat scat, squirrel poop is usually dark brown and black. However, it gets lighter over time, which makes it harder to distinguish by color.

The diet of these rodents differs a lot, so the shape of fecal pellets is also different. While rat scat is usually quite narrow and has pointed ends, squirrels make thicker pellets with rounded ends.

Squirrel Poop vs. Rat Poop

Posted: 2022-07-22

Squirrels and rats are uninvited guests who will gladly invade your dwelling, munch on your food, and destroy your possessions. These furry troublemakers won’t be too careful or clean when hanging out in your house. On the contrary, they’ll eagerly pee and leave their scat wherever they feel like it. Before trying to exterminate the […]

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Squirrel pellets are usually about 3/8 inches long and about 1/8 inch in diameter.

They are a bit longer and have a thickening point in the center. I recommend you to download a few squirrel poop images to simplify identification or use pictures of squirrel poop from the article. Another sign that the feces are left by squirrels is their number. Other rodents leave fewer feces around a single site.

Squirrel poop diseases

Similar to other rodents, squirrels transmit a number of diseases through feces. The most dangerous of them is leptospirosis. It can be spread by both feces and urine and lives up to 180 days in a contaminated area.

Intoxication effects are usually quite mild but can also lead to lethal respiratory problems if you are in a risk group. Another dangerous and common disease transmitted by squirrels is salmonella.

It may cause heavy diarrhea and vomiting, but lethality is very low. Besides, contaminated sites can be infested with ticks and fleas that travel on squirrel bodies. They can easily get onto your clothes and infest your home, so the best solution is to dispose of the clothes you wore or take it to the dry cleaner asap.

How to clean squirrel feces?

When you find a contaminated site, you have to clean it thoroughly. Squirrels leave quite a lot of feces, so the best way to gather them is to use a powerful filter vacuum that uses disposable bags as storage.

If you see scat that stack to the floor, use a chisel knife to cut them off. When the feces are removed, you have to dispose of them immediately to avoid contamination of other spots around the house.

But what to do with urine spots and invisible leftovers? The smell of pheromones will keep attracting squirrels and other rodents to the place, so it’s important to use a disinfectant spray throughout the entire place and make the place safe again.

After that, find all the possible entry points to the attic or cavity and seal them firmly. Otherwise, the rodents will get back to the site as soon as they find it attractive again.

How to identify an infestation?

Squirrel infestation isn’t too difficult to identify as these animals don’t try to be stealth at all. When the infestation takes place, you may hear strange noises, such as scampering and jumping in the attic, scratching in wall cavities, or down the chimney. The next sign is a squirrel scat here and there. You already know how to identify it, so it won’t be a problem.

Other signs include:

• damaged entry points – squirrels can chew through materials (even through metal) to get inside structures;
• interior damage – squirrels that get into your attic, will tear up insulation, shred duct works, and, what’s more dangerous, chew the wiring if they find it;
• Squirrel footprints – it’s quite easy to see them on snow, dust, and mud. If you see tracks around your yard, it’s time to inspect the attic;
• Strange smell – sometimes, squirrels get stuck and die inside structures. Their corpses cause an awful smell that won’t go unnoticed.

FAQ on Squirrel Poop

Here are some brief answers to the most frequent questions that my customers and readers ask. Skim them through to have a better understanding of the problem and feel more fluent.

Where do squirrels poop?

Have you ever seen how squirrels go to the bathroom? Apparently not! Actually, they do it in a bit surprising places. I usually find squirrel poop near the feeding, inside their nests, in wall cavities, and in the attics. They tend to organize ‘bathrooms’ in particular places and use these places repeatedly. That’s pretty clever and makes removing the feces easier for us.

Do I need to worry about squirrel poop where my children play?

Given that squirrel scat can transmit dangerous diseases, you shouldn’t let your children play where squirrels poop. Stop the infestation, remove scat, and sanitize the area before letting your children and pets inside.

How long is squirrel feces dangerous?

Squirrel droppings are soft only during the first hours, but when they dry, the risk of inhaling droplets rises. This means that the feces are dangerous all the time. Even though infections like salmonella last only up to 7 days, you never know how old each pallet is, so precautions are necessary.

Good Luck!

With all the knowledge you have now, you can go and solve the problem once and for all without any risk. Although squirrel excrement is quite dangerous and hard to remove, you can prevent reinfestations in your attic quite easily and for a very long time.

Is it the first time you face a squirrel infestation? If not, tell me what methods you applied, and we’ll see if there was a mistake that led to a reinfestation. If you have any questions left after reading, you’re welcome to ask me via the comments section. For more guides on dealing with animal poop, stay tuned to my blog.

References:

• Leptospirosis (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services):
  https://cybercemetery.unt.edu/archive/oilspill/20120928175206/http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001376.htm
• How dangerous is salmonella? (The Ohio State University by Liz Weinandy, RD):
  https://wexnermedical.osu.edu/blog/how-dangerous-is-salmonella

It is not uncommon for southern states to experience issues with snake infestations. Snakes tend to seek out convenient shelters, such as wall cavities, foundations, and cellars, to hide in.

The occurrence of infestations tends to increase during the winter months and after floods. Even if the winter in your region is mild, snakes may still enter your home in search of shelter and food.

If you are aware of a potential infestation in your area, it is essential to be knowledgeable about identifying snake feces. Being able to identify these droppings can help you detect and address an infestation before it becomes a major problem. My guide can provide helpful information on this topic.

Snake Poop: Easy Identification Guide

In this guide, I covered all the aspects that are needed for snake poop identification and secure disposal. Read it attentively to avoid making mistakes as they may expose you and your household to danger.

What does snake poop look like?

Identifying snake feces is typically easier than identifying droppings left by rodents. Snake droppings usually have a tubular shape with a cord-like appearance and may have either an even shape or an irregular surface. Most snakes’ droppings are dark in color but may have lighter streaks of urine present.

It is not uncommon for people to mistake snake droppings for bird droppings, which is why it can be helpful to have pictures of snake feces for comparison. It is also advisable to examine the feces more closely to determine if there are any hair or bones from the snake’s prey present.

If there are large snakes in your area, it is important to be aware that their droppings may be larger in size and contain a significant amount of liquid urine. For instance, when a python defecates, the resulting droppings are often so substantial that it is difficult to mistake them for the feces of other animals. Therefore, it is important to keep this in mind if there are large snakes present in your environment.

What does copperhead snake poop look like?

Copperhead snakes are venomous snakes widely spread in the US South. Unfortunately, their feces look pretty much the same as other snakes’ waste. You can only guess by the size of scat as it’s rather big.

Are snake turds dangerous?

Snakes are predators and eat frogs, mice, lizards, and other animals that are known for spreading various diseases. The most common of them is salmonella. Other known snake-transmitted diseases include cryptosporidiosis (a parasitic infection) and rarer threats.

Salmonella lives for around a week in feces, while oocysts and cysts of cryptosporidiosis can survive for many months, depending on the conditions. When turds dry, they may dust when you touch them and lead to inhaling of bacteria.

How to clean snake feces?

You shouldn’t garter snake feces without respective protection. It’s quite easy to inhale bacteria when you deal with dry turds as well as to transmit them by bare hands. Before cleaning the area, you should fear rubber or garden gloves, a long-sleeve top, goggles, and a face mask to prevent inhaling and protect mucous.

In addition, you should wear thick snake-proof boots that will protect your ankles from bites. Avoid stepping onto areas if you’re not sure that they’re clean and safe.

Snakes may hide in tall grass, under various debris, and structures. If you see one, don’t try to disturb or trap it with bare hands. Even if you think that you will succeed, a snake can react faster and bite you.

How to check for snake infestation?

It’s quite difficult to identify a snake infestation as signs of snake presence aren’t always evident. Unlike mice, serpents don’t leave almost any trace behind and make noise only if they fall. Even if they get into your house, they may remain stealthy for moths. Still, it’s not impossible if you know what to pay attention to.

Signs of snakes at your household include:

• Snake skin – all snakes shed their skin when they grow. You may find dry skins near entrances into the walls of your house of other structures around the yard.
• Tracks – slither tracks can be found in dusty areas, on sand, or mud. They’re quite easy to identificate.
• Smell – many snakes have a strong odor, so if you notice a strange smell in the crawlspace or other rooms, you should look for snakes.
• Scat – you already know how to identify snake scat, so start dealing with the problem when you see them.

Time for Inspection

Now you know everything to inspect your property for signs of a snake infestation and can remove snake feces without health risks. Always be careful to avoid snake bites and hire professionals if you don’t have the required skills for proper snake relocation.

Have you ever faced a snake infestation before? What did you do to stop it and remove snake feces? Share your experience in the comments and ask me questions if you still have them after reading. If you’ve already found feces on your property and they don’t belong to snakes, read my guides on the poop of other pests to see what’s your enemy.

References:

• Salmonella Questions and Answers (United States Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service):
  https://cybercemetery.unt.edu/archive/oilspill/20120916165143/http://www.fsis.usda.gov/PDF/Salmonella_Questions_and_Answers.pdf
• How to Prevent or Respond to a Snake Bite (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention):
  https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/snakebite.html

In general, bats are beneficial flying mammals that control populations of insects on sites. In most cases, we don’t notice them as they are nocturnal animals.

However, if migrating bats invade your attic, you won’t be pleased at all. They can be really noisy and produce huge piles or fecal pellets near the roost area. Close proximity to bats can lead to contacts with bat poop that is really dangerous for both people and pets because of bat-transmitted diseases.

Animals and children may also touch a bat if they get interested. Such a meeting has very high chances to end up with rabies, so you have to deal with such infestations as fast as possible.

Bat Guano: Easy Extermination Guide

In this guide, I share all the important facts about bat scat along with bat poop images. Read it attentively to be ready to deal with a problem proactively. Still, I don’t recommend fighting with an infestation without professional help as it’s risky.

What does bat poop look like?

Bat scat is usually dropped from the roosting point on your roof. They accumulate in large black piles. Single pellets look like long thin granules with a shiny and speckled coloring.

That’s because most bats eat insects, and their wings don’t break down completely in the digestive system. You can see how they look on the bat poop picture or google for more.

What disease can you get from bat poop?

Bat droppings disease list isn’t very long, but is really hazardous. It includes 3 dangerous diseases, such as rabies, histoplasmosis, and a wide range of ectoparasites, including fleas, flies, mites, true bugs, chiggers, and ticks.

While bat parasites rarely change their host and catch on humans or animals, rabies and histoplasmosis are extremely dangerous and can be lethal.

Both of them can affect humans and pets, so be ready for recognizing histoplasmosis in pets to start treatment on time in case of intoxication. Even though it’s a rare disease in the US, you are very close to it if you have a bat infestation.

Rabies is a much more common disease that’s very easy to catch through bat guano. The percentage of infected bats is usually below 1%, but you never know which of them is infected and the consequences can be very hard.

How to clean bat droppings?

Given that bat poops can contain dangerous diseases, you should protect all your body areas that can be infected through the dust. These include eyes, nose, mouth, and hands as you may touch guano by accident. I recommend wearing:

• thick latex or gardening gloves to avoid skin contact with poop;
• Full-face HEPA respirator;
• Disposable coveralls;
• clothes with long sleeves and pants.

If you call a team of professionals to solve the problem, they will most likely use a powerful filter vacuum. You probably don’t have it and will scoop feces into plastic bags.

In both cases, it’s important to wet down the piles to reduce the amount of dust. Believe me, this material gets very dusty when you disturb it! Add 10% bleach to the spray for better effect and keep spraying it every 5-10 minutes to maintain a low dust level.

When the work is done, you have to close the bags tightly to prevent the dust from getting out. It’s also recommended to figure out bat guano disposal requirements in your area. You might be required to bring the bags into special locations or bury them on the required depth to prevent the infection spreading.

It’s also necessary to clean all the equipment thoroughly and get rid of disposable gear. When the work is done, seal all the entrances to the attic with silicone, sheet metal, wood, or plastic. If the airflow is needed, use metal mesh instead.

How to check for infestation?

There are several signs that may say that there’s a bat problem. They include:

• Bats flying around – if bats fly around your property during sunset and sunrise, it can be a sign that they live very closely;
• Ammonia scent – large bat poop piles have a strong ammonia smell. This means that the problem requires immediate treatment;
• Dead bats – a true sign that a bat family is somewhere near;
• Stained entrances – when bats find an entry hole into your house, they start using it frequently, and it covers in black stains;
• Bats inside the house – it’s an alarm that says hurry up;
  Squeaking sounds and strange noises – same as bats inside;

Although I recommend calling for professional help, you should apply standard bat management techniques as well.

FAQ on Bat Poops

Here I gather answers to some of the questions that my readers ask about bat guano most frequently. Don’t skip this section as it includes some important facts that will help you deal with a bat infestation.

Where do bats poop?

Bats build up strong habits and love to roost together in one and the same place every day. In most cases, they leave feces on entrance holes to their place.

What color is bat feces?

Bat excrement is thin black pellets. They accumulate into piles over time, so it’s quite easy to tell bat roosting from nests of other pests.

What is bat poop used for?

In gardening, bat dung is used as a powerful soil enricher. However, it can be used if it belongs to insect-feeding and fruit bats. Bat guano tea is used for watering plants and deep root fertilization.

Is bat poop toxic?

Bat excrements can contain dangerous parasites and diseases, including histoplasmosis, and rabies, both of which can be lethal if your immune system isn’t strong enough.

Take Care!

Now dealing with a bat infestation will be much easier for you. If you don’t feel like doing this or you don’t have all the needed stuff, you should call a professional pest controller to solve the problem without mistakes and injuries.

Have you ever found bat feces in your household before? Was it an infestation or randomness? I’d be happy to see your story and feedback on my guide in the comments section below. You can also start a conversation with me if you have questions and need professional advice. For more guides on pest excrement and infestations, stay on my blog.

References:

• Recognizing histoplasmosis in pet dogs and cats (Oklahoma State University):
  https://news.okstate.edu/articles/communications/2019/recognizing_histoplasmosis_in_pet_dogs_and_cats.html
• N95 Respirators (HEPA or High-Efficiency-Particulate-Air Filter Respirators) as Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) (University of Iowa Health Care):
  https://medicine.uiowa.edu/iowaprotocols/n95-respirators-hepa-or-high-efficiency-particulate-air-filter-respirators-personal-protective
• Bat Management – What everyone should know (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension):
  https://schoolipm.tamu.edu/files/2019/01/bat-management.pdf

Skunks are very cute on the outside, but they can cause significant damage to your garden or home. They lead an active lifestyle only at night, so you can identify their presence in your territory by skunk feces. My advice will help you find out what skunk poop looks like and how to get rid of feces safely.

After all, skunk poop is potentially dangerous for humans and animals. It may contain bacteria, larvae, rabies, and various infections to which the pests are vectors.

How to Identify Skunk Poops

Skunk scat appears in your garden, basement, or attic at night, so it is difficult to identify the feces during the daytime. On the outside, they are very similar to cats’ poo. But do not try to clean them up quickly with a normal bag without gloves and a protective mask. It can be skunk droppings!

Skunk droppings can contain various foodstuffs and remnants of berries, seeds, and plants. These are omnivorous mammals that hunt rats (can be vectors of infection!), eat berries and plants. They are not averse to eating even bats.

Take a look at the skunk scat images. The particle is about 1/2 inch in diameter and 1-2 inches long. Unlike the feces of cats, skunks poop is with a variety of food remains. Therefore, the color of poop will never be homogeneous, as will the structure.

Skunk feces are often crumbly, mushy, or hard. Some of the remains may be light brown, while others are dark or even black. This is the main difference from the feces of cats. Pets poop homogeneous poop, as their diet is balanced and stable.

Skunk scat dangers

You need accurate skunk scat identification to apply precautions when cleaning up. Skunks are omnivores, so they are often considered as vectors of infection, eating rats, bats, larvae, and worms.

Direct contact or inhalation of the smell of poop can lead to infection of humans with salmonella, leptospirosis, E. coli, and various bacteria. Some skunk poop pictures may even show small larvae, often found in the animals’ feces. It is disgusting, so you must take precautions.

Skunk poop feces are also dangerous for pets, especially cats and dogs. They can infect the larvae, after which they will have to be treated for a long time.

In North America, there are often recorded cases of infection of horses with EPM from skunk feces. This disease has a strong effect on horses’ nervous systems and can destroy their bodies within a few weeks.

How to clean skunk feces

You need to clear the area of skunk poop immediately if you have found feces and identified them.

Step 1 Use the protective gear

Use a protective mask or respirator with rubber gloves for this. Do not touch feces under any circumstances.

Step 2: Eliminate the poop properly

Put the feces in a tightly closed bag and throw them in the trash can. Ensure that dogs or other animals do not have access to the dumpster and cannot get the bag out of there.

Step 3: Get rid of the gear

Gloves and other equipment you have used to clean the feces in the bag should also be discarded. The place where the skunk poop was may have been contaminated.

Step 4: Disinfect the area

You should use disinfectants to treat the ground’s surface within a radius of 2 meters near the poop. You can use chlorine, alcohol (above 60%), bleaching agents, and strong detergents.

How to identify skunk poop infections

You can recognize the infestation of your territory with skunks by several signs:

• Remains of fruit or other food appear in the garden;
• There are pits dug in the garden;
• The lower facade of the building has been bitten or contains traces of destruction;
• An unpleasant smell of ammonia, typical for skunks.

Note that skunks are mostly active at night. During the day, you are unlikely to notice them in your garden. It is best to install video cameras with the night mode. This way, you will be able to notice the presence of skunks and identify them.

FAQ

How long is skunk poop still dangerous to humans?

Skunk fecal matter can be dangerous for a person for a long time. Even hardened feces may contain larvae. So it is worth cleaning up the poop as soon as you find it.

Is skunk poop dangerous for dogs?

Yes, skunk feces are primarily dangerous for dogs and other pets. Dogs often consume feces, so it should not be allowed to get into the dog’s esophagus. If an infection occurs, the dog will need veterinary care and treatment.

Why would skunk poop be in my yard?

Skunks are omnivores, so they often climb into the yards of houses, choppers to eat berries, the fruits on trees, as well as food for pets.

Skunk Feces Identification: Easy with Expert Tips

You need to be able to identify the feces that appear in your garden or non-residential areas of your home. These could be skunk poops that sneaked into your home at night.

They eat everything and are often vectors of diseases. You should not touch these poops and clean them up without personal protective equipment. Hopingly, this article will help you become a pro in skunk poop identification and get rid of it correctly.

Tell me, have you encountered any suspicious poop near your home? Have you felt a particularly unpleasant smell? Tell us about your experience with skunk poop in the garden.

References:

• Animal Transmitted Diseases (Washington State Department of Health):
  https://www.doh.wa.gov/YouandYourFamily/IllnessandDisease/AnimalTransmittedDiseases
• Diseases from raccoons and other wildlife (King Country):
  https://www.kingcounty.gov/depts/health/communicable-diseases/zoonotic/facts-resources/diseases-by-animal/raccoons.aspx

Discover the signs of chipmunk activity before it’s too late and protect your garden or farm from these pesky rodents. Chipmunks have a habit of returning to the places they leave their droppings, making them a less than desirable neighbors for gardeners and farmers.

Don’t let chipmunks ruin your hard-earned harvest. Their droppings may be difficult to distinguish from those of rats and other small animals, so it’s important to stay vigilant and keep an eye out for any signs of chipmunk activity. Act fast and safeguard your territory today.

You have to learn your enemy before planning an attack on it. Read my instructions, and get rid of chipmunks in your yard.

Chipmunk Droppings: Easy Extermination Guide

Adorable chipmunks with their fluffy tails and beady eyes may look like cartoon characters, but they can wreak havoc on farms and gardens. Their love for nuts, seeds, and fruits is undeniable, but when these delicacies are scarce, they’ll happily munch on vegetables, plants, fungi, and even bird eggs. While they may be cute, they’re not always welcome guests.

Chipmunk droppings identification

The main problem is that chipmunk feces look similar to other animals. Besides, another problem appears – many people simply don’t believe that these creatures can poop at all. What does chipmunk poop look like? Check out the main peculiarities:

• Size: On average, chipmunk scat is tiny. They are less than 0,40 inches. If you watch chipmunk poop images closely, you will notice that they are even smaller than rats.
• Shape: This poop looks like pellets. The ends are long and pointy.
• Color: it depends on the food that chipmunks eat. Sometimes it is brown; sometimes it can be black.

Chipmunk droppings vs. mouse droppings

It looks similar to rat’s droppings. But it is not. Rat’s feces are bigger than chipmunk’s. They are also thicker than chipmunk turds. Unlike rats, these rodents rarely poop outside their dwelling.

Mice and chipmunks have similar feces. You have to look closely to notice the difference. Chipmunks have a paler color of poop compared to mice.

Chipmunk scat dangers

Did you know that chipmunk poop is just as dangerous as any other omnivore or carnivore scat? Due to their unpredictable diet of scavenging, chipmunk feces may contain a high number of harmful viruses and bacteria. Be cautious around these cute little critters!

Humans rarely contact directly with this scat, so it is highly unlikely you will get infected. Unless you or your pets touch it. You can receive diseases transmitted by chipmunks from their poop:

• Leptospirosis spreads through airborne dust. It is a bacterial disease;
• Salmonellosis – not fatal, but fever, diarrhea, cramps, and nausea can last for up to 7 days;
• Hantavirus is incredibly contagious. It spreads through inhaling particles with saliva, urine, and droppings of chipmunks.

How to clean chipmunk feces

Once chipmunk poop identification is over, and you know what you withstand, you need to clean the territory.

Follow these simple steps:

• Wear protective gloves and respirator;
• Inspect the poop with a stick to make sure that it is dry or not. Sprinkle dry poop with water;
• Torch the poop in the place unreachable for others;
• Spray disinfectants on the spot where you have found the poop.

Is it an infestation?

It may be an infestation, as usually chipmunks don’t leave their feces anywhere except in their burrows. You may notice it on chipmunk feces pics. Check out for other signs:

• The freshness of the poop. The fresher it is, the closer chipmunks have built the nest;
• The quantity of poop. You may find the latrine site of chipmunks. If it is, look for possible burrows.

FAQ on Chipmunk Droppings

How much poop does a chipmunk poop at a time?

It depends on the amount of food chipmunk ate. Usually, it is up to 2-3 pellets. If you find latrine, you will see more poops.

What color is chipmunk poop?

It depends on the food chipmunk ate. It can be black or brown. More veggies make it paler.

How can you tell the difference between chipmunk poop and rat and mice poop?

Chipmunk’s poop is bigger than mice and paler. It is also thinner and smaller than rat’s feces. They have similar forms. Still, poop identification will not be a problem when it comes to these species.

Dealing With the Problem of Chipmunk Droppings

The closer you see droppings of these rodents to your house, the more concerned you have to be. Perhaps it is time to set chipmunk traps or scare them away with other actions. Chipmunks are dangerous for your garden and the harvest you want to gather.

They don’t poop anywhere outside the burrow as they are afraid of other animals to find them by the smell. If chipmunks poop in your yard, it is possible that they consider it their home. If you have or had problems with chipmunks, share your story in the comments below. How did you act when you noticed their poop?

References:

• Diseases directly transmitted by rodents (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention):
  https://www.cdc.gov/rodents/diseases/direct.html
• Hantavirus Disease (New York State):
  https://www.health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/hantavirus/fact_sheet.htm

Termites are unwelcome guests in any house where there’s something made of wood — that is any house at all. There are many species of these little species, some of which are more common than others. What is similar about them is that they cause destruction to our homes by feasting on wooden walls, floors, and furniture.

Termite droppings are often the first sign of an infestation that can go unnoticed for a long time since the critters tend to leave the surface of whatever they devour intact. This article explains how to spot and treat termite poop.

Termite Excrement Identification

There are many termite species around the planet. In the USA alone, subterranean, drywood, and dampwood termites are more or less common, causing considerable concern. Although feces don’t vary greatly depending on the species, minor differences in poop color and size, as well as pooping habits exist.

Before we continue to learn how to spot termite feces, however, let’s deal with a common misunderstanding that exists regarding the topic. It is related to what is referred to as termite frass.

When you start researching pest droppings, especially in the context of wood-destroying buggers, you might be confused by how some people say frass is another word for droppings and others maintain these are two different things.

The truth is that frass consists of feces mixed with a lot of other materials. These include finely ground wood powder that’s generated as the termites proceed with their excavation work, mud, etc. The fecal matter that makes it up is liquid in some species.

This means you’re unlikely to spot it as such regardless of what species you are dealing with; it’s mostly frass that signalizes termite infestation. For the purpose of this article, termite waste is referred to as poop, excrements, feces, and frass interchangeably.

What Does Termite Poop Look Like

If you look at termite poop pictures, you’ll notice immediately that the color of what you see varies, but the shape is more or less consistent. In most cases, the frass resembles small granules.

Those who look closely enough might notice that sometimes termite droppings have a characteristic oval shape, with rounded ends and six indentations in them. Such frass often appears in mounds in places where wood has been destroyed, in particular, outside of wooden objects as termites push their frass out to make room for them in the tunnels.

This is characteristic of drywood termites, probably one of the most common species to attack our homes along with subterranean termites. The latter, however, don’t tend to leave a lot of frass.

Apart from the drywood termites droppings, dampwood frass is produced as the insects’ feast on wooden furniture and structures with high water content (hence the name). Luckily, the species is uncommon in people’s homes.

The color of termite pellets can vary from light, such as sandy, to nearly black. A pile can thus resemble sawdust, sand, or dirt. This depends primarily on the pest’s most recent diet and isn’t helpful in terms of identifying whether the frass is old or new. Frass is often masked by dust, too.

If you feel like you need to inspect your house for signs of termite infestation, look for droppings on window sills and around the frames, on the floor, particularly under the carpet and in and around cracks and crevices, and on furniture such as beds (this applies if you suspect ceiling damage).

Termite Excrement Risks

Just in case you are alarmed that termite droppings are a biological weapon potentially spreading disease, this is nothing but prejudice. However, allergic reactions might occur in sensitized individuals.

Removing Termite Waste

Luckily, termite poop is not in and of itself hazardous, so you needn’t treat it like it is. This doesn’t mean you should live it lying where it is, though. The simplest way to proceed is to use your vacuum cleaner to suck it up and dispose of it as you would of normal waste. It’s also advisable to use regular household disinfectants afterwards.

Remember to appraise the wooden surface/object you’ve found the frass next to after you’ve removed the waste.

What If I’ve Found Termite Frass in My House?

Frass is not a sure sign of an ongoing infestation. However, you should look for other symptoms if there’s a pile or more on your property. These are as follows:

• sagging floors;
• doors and windows that won’t close or open properly;
• cracks or little holes in the foundation and/or walls, possibly with paint damage;
• characteristic mud tubes on the walls;
• discarded wings;
• flying termite sightings.

If you’ve come to believe you have termites, I recommend that you contact a pest control service for professional advice since these pests aren’t the easiest to keep in check.

Termite Feces FAQ

In this section, I answer some common questions regarding termite poop in brief terms.

Are termite droppings harmful?

They aren’t per se, except they can cause allergic reactions and asthma if you are sensitized, or your immune system is compromised.

What are the signs of termites in your home?

Signs of termite infestation include hollow, loose-feeling spots in the wood. You might also come across a termite swarm (not to be confused with ant swarms).

How do you know if termite droppings are old or new?

There’s no way to tell how old termite feces are. They don’t usually change color or texture over time, so old and new droppings look largely the same.

Termite Poop? You’d Better Hurry Up

Heaps of frass, or fecal matter mixed with wood shavings from consumed objects and mud, are a strong indication you’re dealing with a termite attack. It’s thus essential that you know how to identify the droppings and where to look for them in case you suspect an infestation. Remember that the little critters work slowly but can destroy your property beyond repair if you let them feast on it for a long time!

Have you ever had termites? If yes, how did you find out? You’re welcome to share your stories in the Comments section.

References:

• Termites: How to Identify and Control Them (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency):
  https://www.epa.gov/safepestcontrol/termites-how-identify-and-control-them
• Structural Pest Control Control of Wood Destroying Pests (Nevada State Department of Agriculture):https://agri.nv.gov/uploadedFiles/agrinvgov/Content/Plant/PEST/Study_Manuals/C3%20MANUAL%202014%20without%20Appendix%206-2014.pdf

Discovering coyote droppings in your yard may be alarming, but it’s important to take action quickly. Coyotes may seem cute, but they are actually dangerous carnivores that have been known to carry diseases like rabies. Even if they typically coexist peacefully with humans, it’s best to take precautions to prevent future encounters.

Farmers raising chickens, ducks, and other potential coyote food sources should also take measures to keep their poultry out of reach. Remember, coyotes can be a threat to small animals like cats and even dogs. Though they usually shy away from open confrontations with humans, it’s still wise to be vigilant, as they are known to visit yards at night.

Coyote Poop: Easy Identification Guide

Are you living in an area with a high coyote population? Don’t be surprised if these elusive creatures make an appearance in your backyard. But before you take action on how to get rid of coyotes, make sure you properly identify the culprit. Not all feces found in your yard belongs to coyotes. Learn how to spot coyote feces and take the appropriate measures to protect your property.”

Coyote droppings identification

They are recognized among the feces of other animals. Usually, they contain hair and small bones of animals inside. Pay attention to the next factors:

• Size. On average, coyote dung is 4 inches long and close to 1 inch in diameter;
• The shape of the feces is oval. They are rope-like. Also, coyote feces are not soft, mainly because of the hair and bones inside;
• Color varies from the climate conditions they live at. It is dark during the winter period and bright during the summer. Old scat turns gray.

Coyote vs. other animals

Coyotes belong to the same group of canines as dogs and wolves. Their feces look similar to dogs. They are tubular and tapered at the ends. However, coyote poop in the yard is visibly different from the dog’s poop. Coyote’s scat is bigger and darker. Besides, the dog’s poop is soft.

Coyote scat dangers

Many residents in coyote-populated areas may be skeptical of the potential hazards, but it’s important to understand the risks. Coyotes may seem harmless, but their feces can carry deadly viruses and bacteria, including the dreaded tapeworm. In fact, 25% of coyotes carry this parasite, making it a serious threat to both animals and humans.

If you have pets that love to sniff and explore, it’s crucial to remove any coyote scat from your property immediately. Not only does it pose a risk for tapeworm, but it can also carry rabies and other deadly viruses.

How to clean coyote feces

You may have already guessed from checking out numerous coyote poop pictures that they contain small particles that can also be dangerous to you. This is why you have to follow simple safety rules removing the feces from your yard.

Under no circumstances can you take a poop with bare hands. Don’t try to sniff it, and don’t put it close to your face or open skin. Use gloves, shovels, and bags to remove it. Here is a step-by-step instruction:

• Wear protective gloves and a respirator. You may also wear disposable boots or cover them with something disposable;
• Sprinkle warm water on the poop if it is dry;
• Take a shovel and remove the poop. Torch it, so the flame kills tapeworm;
• Disinfect the territory with the boiled water and disinfectant;
• Remove gloves and clean hands with soap and hot water. It is also recommended to wash your clothes after the procedure. Wash them separately from anything else.

Is it an infestation: Quick Checklist

One of the worst problems is that cysts can develop in the human body for years. Unless it is rabies, signs of infestations may not be revealed for a long time. Call the doctor in case:

• If you come into direct contact with the substance, as you see on coyote scat images, you need to consult with the doctor.
• If you have open wounds, the risks to get the disease are even higher.
• You will notice signs of virus infection in your body due to the high temperature, nausea, headache. Don’t ignore these signs.

Avoiding the Danger

Coyotes are wild animals that can’t be controlled by humans. You can’t even predict their behavior in the next moment. However, there is a pattern in it. They come to the territories nearby, without fences, and mark them as their own, leaving scats on the ground.

This scat is dangerous, as it may be extremely contagious and contain deadly viruses and bacteria. You have to get rid of it before the coyote comes back to leave another one on the same territory. If you are visited by coyotes, share your personal remedies for dealing with them. Did you get rid of their visits?

References:

• Signs of Coyote presence (The Ohio State University):
  https://urbancoyoteresearch.com/coyote-info/signs-coyote-presence
• Solving Problems with Coyotes (The Humane Society of the United States):
  https://www.humanesociety.org/sites/default/files/docs/HSUS%20Coyote%20Mgt%20Plan%202019.pdf

Possums can infiltrate your garden or even your home, leaving their poop there — possum poop is like the feces of other pets: cats or small dogs. But cleaning after marsupial mammals is dangerous for humans, so it is essential to distinguish between the animals’ feces.

In no case you should touch the opossum feces in order not to get infected with several infections. In this article, you will see several possum poop photos with detailed descriptions. Distinguishing between pet poop and possum feces will help you avoid the risk of getting infected with contagious diseases.

Possum Poop Easy Extermination Guide

Externally, these marsupial mammals look very cute. They look like small brown foxes with outstretched noses and funny eyes. Possums are not dangerous to humans, but their poop can be a carrier of various infections:

• Salmonella;
• EPM;
• Leptospirosis;
• Escherichia coli.

Possum droppings are dangerous because these animals are omnivores and often hunt rodents (rats and mice). It is rodents that are vectors of infection so that diseases can be transmitted through the possum scat.

It is enough to touch the poop or smell it from close range to get infected. There have been periodic deaths in North America and southeastern Canada due to the poop contamination of these mammals.

Some of the diseases above can be transmitted not only to adults and children but also to pets. Therefore, as soon as you see possum droppings in the garden or your home, you should remove them carefully.

Possum droppings identification

It is very difficult to perform a possum droppings identification if there are pets in your house. On the outside, possum droppings are very similar to those of cats or dogs.

But there are ways to distinguish them. One of the most frequent questions on this subject is: “what does possum poop look like? Many people are afraid to confuse the feces of these mammals with the poop of pets. I suggest looking at possum poop pictures to see the characteristic differences and features.

To identify distinctive features of possum poops, note the consistency of the feces. It is completely uniform, without any small broken pieces, as is often the case with dogs. Such poops should have no seeds. If you find the seeds of some plants in them, it is not possum feces.

Poops have a diameter of about 1-1.5 inches. The color may vary from dark brown to dark gray with possible light splashes. A characteristic feature of possum poop feces is a very unpleasant smell. It smells terrible! The smell of the poop of a dog or cat is less pronounced.

It is due to pheromones’ secretions, thanks to which omnivorous mammals mark the territory and scare away potential enemies. You will smell ammonia and rotting poop, as possums often poop and pee at the same time.

How to clean possum feces

Are you sure you have found possum poop in the house, attic, garden, or garage? In this case, you need to remove the feces immediately so that pets and children do not get to them.

Step 1: Take care of the protective equipment

Do not touch poop with bare hands or breathe in the smell. Use thick rubber gloves and a respirator with transparent glasses to protect your eyes. It will eliminate the risk of infections and bacteria that may be present in the poo.

Step 2: Inspect the feces carefully

Take a close look at them with a respirator and glasses. You may notice small larvae. It is a bad sign. Be careful.

Step 3: Place the poop in a bag

Remove the found feces in several dense bags. Use a special cleaning kit if you have one. Do not try to wrap the poop in one layer of the bag. Cellophane may break during transportation and removal to the trash.

Step 4: Throw it in the container

In sturdy or sealed bags, throw the feces into the trash and close the container. Make sure the lid of the container is tightly closed and no other animals can get inside.

Step 5: Disinfect the spot

It is not the end of the cleaning process. The place where the feces were should be treated with a disinfector. It can be an alcoholic antiseptic with high alcohol content, bleach, chlorine concentrate, or any remedy against bacteria and infections. Remember to carefully throw away the gloves and respirator after cleaning, as bacteria may be inside the filter.

How to check for infestation

There are several indications that possums have appeared in your home or garden:

• You hear scratchy sounds in the attic or basement that change their location;
• The facade of a house from below can be bitten, as possums often tear down the finish of a house in some places, damage the cornices and siding;
• You may smell ammonia (possum urine has a pungent smell);
• Pet food disappears (possums can feast on the dog or cat food).

Stay Safe in a Poopless Household

I have added some possum poop images to the article for you to examine the feces of these animals visually. Remember that you need not only to keep the poo away from people and animals but also to protect yourself from further possum poop penetration into your garden, attic, house, or garage.

Write, have you ever met a possum poop? What products have you used for disinfection? Your comments would be of great help to other readers and me.

References:

• Infections in Pets (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention):
  https://www.cdc.gov/leptospirosis/pets/infection/index.html
• Leptospirosis (Victoria State Government Health and Human Services):
  https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/Leptospirosis

Deer can be a serious problem for those whose areas are located near the forest. If you grow vegetables and fruits, it is likely they will attract animals. In addition to massive damage to your crops, they can cause even greater harm to your health. It is known that deer defecate 10-15 times a day.

If an animal is sick, a deer poop is a huge danger to pets, farm animals, and humans. If you want to know how to recognize their feces, why they are dangerous, and how to remove them, you’ll find all the info you need below.

Deer Droppings Removal Guide

Deer are very gluttonous creatures and are considered the record holders for the amount of damage to agriculture. However, not only do they pose a danger but also their waste.

Deer scat identification

As I said, on average, deer poop 10-15 times a day, but in spring and summer, when plants are incredibly juicy, this figure can increase up to 20-30 times daily. Imagine what a mess they will make your garden! In deer poop pictures, you can see some pretty impressive piles of poop.

Females have up to 60 pellets in one session, while males can have up to 80. Moreover, they defecate right in the same places where they eat, that is, in your backyard.

So, what does deer poop look like? Feces usually have a rounded granule shape; occasionally, they are slightly elongated. Since deer are herbivores, their wastes decompose rather quickly. On the first day, they are smooth, shiny, and have a dark color. Then they dry up, brighten, acquire a fibrous structure, and crack.

Sometimes you can see pieces of undigested nuts, corn, oats, and even small twigs in them. They resemble the feces of goats, hares, squirrels, and rabbits in their shape, but they are somewhat larger in size (up to 1 inch). Take a good look at the photos of deer feces to understand what you are dealing with.

Deer scat threat

Since wild animal feces can contain disease-causing parasites, it is not recommended for humans to contact them directly. Is deer poop dangerous? My definite answer is yes!

Among the dangerous diseases that are transmitted through scat, it is worth highlighting Chronic wasting disease (or abbreviated CWD) caused by prions. It affects deer brains, causing an animal to lose weight, coordination, move poorly, and subsequently die.

At the moment, it’s unknown whether humans can become infected, but pets and farm animals are at risk. But different types of Escherichia coli can easily infect people. Bacteria can enter our body through contact with feces and urine or even while swimming in a muddy pond near which deer live.

Dicrocoelium dendriticum infections affect the biliary tract, liver and can even cause cirrhosis in ungulates and mammals, including humans. Eggs of these parasites can be clearly seen on deer droppings pictures. Another disease, Fasciolosis, has a similar effect on animals. In humans, it causes urticaria, ascites, anemia, jaundice, and hepatitis.

Cleaning deer turds

Many gardeners use feces as fertilizer. I highly discourage doing this since you cannot know for sure that a deer who has visited you isn’t sick in any way. It is best to remove them from your flower beds to avoid spreading diseases.

Safety measures

As with any wild animal feces, extreme caution should be exercised when cleaning deer excrements. Before starting work, put on old clothing that will completely cover your arms and legs. It is also recommended to wear rubber boots and disposable gloves. Use a respirator and goggles as extra protection.

Disposal

Never remove deer feces with bare hands. Use an inverted bag or, better yet, a shovel. The easiest way to get rid of them is to seal them up and throw them in the trash. However, if you have the appropriate hardware, you can hot-compost it. The collected material should be processed for at least a week at a temperature not lower than 140°F.

Upon completing work, be sure to wash your clothes in hot water with detergent, pack and discard disposable items hermetically, and treat your shovel and boots with boiling water. If poop comes into contact with edible plants, unfortunately, you will have to destroy them.

Infestation

The appearance of deer near your site is hard to miss. Even if you do not see animals themselves, you will definitely find traces of their appearance with ease. Deer damage includes gnawed trees, broken branches, eaten fruits, vegetables, and young plant shoots.

Besides, these animals tend to scratch on tree trunks so that pieces of their fur can catch on a bark. On the ground, you will see a huge variety of hoof prints and, of course, piles of poop.

Deer are especially active in spring and summer when they gain access to food after a hungry winter. It is then that the amount of destruction and the volume of feces increase (it is noticeable in some deer poop images).

FAQs About Deer Poop in Yard

This section contains answers to common questions about deer feces.

Why do dogs roll in deer poop?

It may be due to their instinctive desire to mask their own scent since wolves, their ancestors, did it while hunting. Or they want to absorb extraneous odors to “tell” the relatives where they have been.

What happens if a dog eats deer poop?

It’s simple: if a dog does it, it will get sick with diseases that a deer had (if any). At the same time, it is highly likely that a pet’s owner will also get sick after contact with it.

Is deer poop a good fertilizer?

In theory, yes. Deer are herbivores, so their feces contain a lot of nutrients and fermented plant debris. However, if a deer was sick, burying its poop in the ground will spread the disease throughout your area.

Handle Deer Excrements With Care

Although it is not always possible for wild animals to be infected with dangerous diseases, it is best to take all possible safety measures. Some infections are easy to pick up when gardening on contaminated soil.

At-risk are animals, kids, the elderly, and people with weak immunity. Therefore, I recommend removing feces from your site timely and doing everything possible to deter deer from your site.

Have you ever encountered deer problems? Did they leave poop in your yard? Please, tell my readers and me how you managed to scare these animals away.

References:

• Assessment of Wildlife Depredation to Agricultural Crops in New Jersey (Journal of Extension):
  https://sustainable-farming.rutgers.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Assessment-of-Wildlife-Depredation-to-Agricultural-Crops-in-New-Jersey.pdf
• Prions found in feces of deer asymptomatic for chronic wasting disease (University of California San Francisco):
  https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2009/09/4291/prions-found-feces-deer-asymptomatic-chronic-wasting-disease
• How to manage deer damage on trees and other plants (University of Minnesota Extension):
  https://extension.umn.edu/planting-and-growing-guides/white-tailed-deer-damage