Found Mouse Droppings? How to Clean Them Up Safely in Colorado
Denver Metro & the Front Range
Fall and early winter are when people find the mess. You pull the holiday boxes down from the garage shelf, open the shed to put the mower away, or go up to close the cabin for the season, and there are droppings everywhere.
Before you grab the broom or the shop vac, read this. In Colorado, how you clean it up matters.
Why Colorado is different: deer mice and hantavirus
Deer mice live all over Colorado, and they can carry hantavirus. People catch it by breathing in dust from mouse droppings, urine or nesting material, usually while cleaning out a shed, garage, cabin or other space that's been closed up. It doesn't spread from person to person.
It's rare, but it's serious. Colorado has recorded more than 130 cases since 1993, one of the highest counts in the country, and the CDC says about 38 percent of people who develop breathing symptoms may die. That's why the cleanup steps below aren't optional.
Deer mouse or house mouse?
- Deer mouse: brown on top with a clean white belly and white feet, big ears and big dark eyes. More common in garages, sheds, cabins, barns and homes near open space and the foothills.
- House mouse: a fairly even gray-brown all over, smaller ears, and a long, mostly hairless tail. The usual mouse in kitchens and pantries.
In practice you usually can't tell which kind left the droppings. Clean them all the same way.
How to clean up mouse droppings safely
These steps come from the CDC's guidance for cleaning up after rodents.
- Air it out first. Open every door and window and leave the space for at least 30 minutes before you start.
- Put on rubber or plastic gloves.
- Mix fresh disinfectant. 1.5 cups of household bleach in 1 gallon of water, or a store-bought disinfectant used the way the label says.
- Soak, don't sweep. Spray the droppings, urine spots and any nesting material until they're wet, and let it sit for 5 minutes.
- Wipe up with paper towels and put them in a garbage bag.
- Bag dead mice and nests twice. Spray them with disinfectant, put them in a plastic bag, tie it, put that in a second bag, tie it, and throw it in a covered trash can.
- Clean the area. Mop hard floors and wipe counters, shelves and drawers with disinfectant.
- Wash up. Wash your gloved hands with soap and water before taking the gloves off, then wash your bare hands with soap and warm water.
Garages, sheds, cabins and campers
Spaces that sit closed up are where droppings build up and where the risk is highest. A few extra steps:
- Carry boxes and stored items outside into the sun before you open them, and stand upwind
- Check stored holiday decorations, camping gear, seed and pet food bags for chewing and droppings
- Bag and throw away insulation or fabric that mice have nested in or soiled
- Check the engine bay and air filter of cars, campers and mowers that have been parked for a while
- For a heavily soiled attic, crawl space or cabin, call before you start. Some jobs are bigger than a bucket and gloves
Then deal with the mice
Cleaning up the droppings doesn't solve anything if the mice are still coming in. Trap the ones that are there, then find out how they got in, or you'll be doing this again in a month.
- Active trapping along walls and the paths mice use, in the garage, basement, attic and storage areas
- Entry-point repair estimate. At the time of service our exclusion experts will inspect and give you an estimate for any repairs (exclusion) needed to keep mice from getting back in
- A walk-through of what's feeding them, like seed, pet food and stored boxes
Frequently Asked Questions
Do mice in Colorado carry hantavirus?
Deer mice can, and they're found across Colorado. People catch it by breathing in dust from droppings, urine or nesting material. It's rare, but serious: the CDC says about 38 percent of people who develop breathing symptoms may die.
How do I tell a deer mouse from a house mouse?
Deer mice are brown on top with a white belly and white feet, and have big ears and eyes. House mice are a fairly even gray-brown all over with smaller ears. You usually can't tell from droppings alone, so clean all mouse droppings the safe way.
Can I vacuum mouse droppings?
No. Sweeping or vacuuming droppings, urine or nests puts the dust in the air. Soak them with disinfectant or a bleach solution first, then wipe them up with paper towels.
What bleach mix should I use?
The CDC recommends 1.5 cups of household bleach in 1 gallon of water, mixed fresh. Spray until soaked and let it sit 5 minutes before wiping.
When is the risk highest?
When you're cleaning out a space that's been closed up, like a shed, garage, cabin, camper or crawl space, because that's where droppings and dust build up.
Looking for more? Read about rodent control or browse the full pest library.
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