While any kind of animal waste can seem like a disgusting mess, rodent droppings are particularly problematic. In some cases, rodent dropping cleanup should be handled by a professional. Here’s a quick look at when to call a pro and when (and how) to handle this mess on your own.
The Dangers Of Rodents & Rodent Waste
Rats, mice and other rodents can carry a variety of serious diseases. Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome is a life-threatening disease that can be caused by exposure to rodent droppings, rodent urine and even the saliva of these animals.
Salmonellosis and rat-bite fever are two serious illnesses that can be caused by consuming foods contaminated by rodent droppings. Believe it or not, bubonic plague is still around, and you can contract this disease by coming into contact with rodent droppings. While plague is rare, with only about five cases per year in the United States, this simply further illustrates the dangers of rodents and how they pose a serious public health risk.
Small Rodent Issues
In some cases, you might have just a few droppings from one rat or mouse. In this case, you probably can clean up the mess yourself although we are always happy to help. If you do decide to clean up droppings on your own, be sure to follow the correct safety procedures.
Begin by mixing a bleach solution with one part bleach to nine parts water in a spray bottle. You also will need to wear plastic gloves or rubber gloves. Then, spray the bleach solution on the rodent droppings or urine until is soaking wet and let the area rest for at least five minutes.
Once the bleach has penetrated the area, you can use a paper towel to wipe up the mess. The dirty paper towels and droppings all should be placed into a plastic bag. Then spray the bleach solution on the area where the droppings were located and mop up the area or clean it with a sponge. The mop head and sponge also will need to be disposed of in a plastic bag.
Spray your gloves with disinfectant or warm water and soap before removing them. Once removed, these gloves also need to be placed in the plastic bag. At this point, you can seal up the bag and throw it in a trash can with a secure lid. Then wash your hands carefully with soap and warm water.
One Important Note: Do not use a vacuum or broom to simply sweep up the rodent droppings. You will risk inhaling particles from the droppings which can cause severe respiratory distress, including developing hantavirus. We highly recommend wearing a face mask (preferably an N95 mask or KN95) when you clean up any rodent droppings and then disposing of the mask after cleanup is complete.
Even with just a small number of droppings, it can be smart to hire a pest inspection service to examine your entire property for evidence of further rodent infestation. They can check crawl spaces and attics as well as your yard for any further signs of rodents and also provide you with tips to better secure your property to ensure that these pests don’t become a huge problem.
Ensuring that your attic and crawlspaces are well sealed is one way to prevent rodent infestations. Trimming back tree branches away from your roof and keeping gutters clean are other ways to discourage these pests from building nests in and around your home. It’s also recommended that you don’t leave pet food outdoors, as this can attract many pests, from rats to raccoons and other unpleasant creatures.
Rodent Infestations
If you are dealing with any type of rodent infestation beyond just a few isolated droppings, it’s truly best to hire a professional to provide you with rodent dropping cleanup services and ensure the safe removal of all rat and mouse waste in all affected areas of your home or property.
Our highly trained technicians have the proper personal protective equipment and specialized equipment to ensure that all traces of urine and rodent waste are removed and that disinfecting and cleaning is complete. We adhere to all state and federal protocols regarding the proper remediation of rodent waste. If you also need any type of dead animal removal, we can provide you with this service as well.
Vehicle Infestations
Our professional rodent dropping cleanup up services extend to cleaning any vehicles that have been infested with rodent waste. Rats often build nests in car engines as this provides a warm place for their babies. In some cases, the rats gnaw through wires and cables, and they sometimes even gnaw their way into the interior of a vehicle. In some cases, rodents die in vents or other hard-to-reach areas.
The result is not only toxic, but the odors are terrible and extremely difficult to remove. Our highly trained cleaning crews can remove all traces of rodent waste, dead rodents, nests and also provide odor removal service. Once the vehicle has been restored and is safe to use, we recommend parking the vehicle in a garage if possible. Placing mothballs in the engine also can help repel future rodent infestations.
If you or a loved one suffers from a hoarding disorder, we can help. We offer caring, compassionate hoarding cleaning services and this often includes rodent dropping cleanup and dead animal removal. We know how difficult and exhausting this situation can be, but we can help remove any contaminated belongings or materials and restore the home to a safe condition.
Hoarding cleanup should not be attempted by family members. Not only is this a highly emotional task, but it can truly be overwhelming, and it can be difficult to even know how to get started with the cleanup. Additionally, it’s truly not safe as most hoarding situations include removing toxic materials such as mold-contaminated items, rodent droppings and more.
Contact Bio-One® At AnytimeIf you need rodent dropping cleanup or any type of hazmat cleaning services and biohazard cleanup, you can contact the team at Bio-One of Augusta at any time. We are available 24/7, 365 days a year and not only will we provide complete biohazard remediation, but we also can handle any insurance claim-related tasks, if applicable. We serve the entire Augusta metro area and all surrounding areas.