Sachse, TX · Rodents
Droppings in the pantry or kitchen drawers
Small dark droppings, about the size of a grain of rice, in the pantry, a kitchen drawer, under the sink or behind the stove mean mice. Larger droppings, about half an inch, mean rats. Either way, rodents are feeding inside the house.
Texas pest control businesses are licensed by the TDA. The call carries no obligation.
What the droppings tell you
Size tells you which rodent. Mice leave small, pointed droppings, rats leave larger blunt ones. That changes where to look and what traps to use.
Placement shows the route. Droppings collect along walls, behind appliances and at the back of cabinets — the paths rodents travel. Where they are thickest is where they come in or nest.
Fresh or old matters. Fresh droppings are dark and soft, old ones gray and crumbly. Fresh ones mean current activity.
What the visit involves
A technician inspects the kitchen, the garage and the outside walls, finds the gaps rodents are using — often behind the stove or dishwasher where lines enter, or at the garage — and sets traps along the routes. Sealing entry points is the part that stops the problem from coming back. Follow-up visits check traps and confirm activity has stopped.
Tell the operator
- Where you find droppings and roughly how big they are
- Whether food packaging has been chewed
- Whether you hear anything in the walls or attic
- Whether there is a gap under the garage door
Say what you found and where. Call to check whether a visit is available today.
(866) 204-1244Questions people ask
Is it safe to sweep the droppings up?
Do not sweep or vacuum them dry. Health guidance is to spray droppings with a disinfectant or bleach solution, wait, then wipe them up with gloves on, to avoid stirring dust into the air.
I set traps and caught a few. Am I done?
Only if the way in is closed. Without sealing entry points, new mice replace the ones trapped.
Can mice get into a newer house?
Yes. Garage door seals, gaps where pipes and cables enter, and weep holes at the bottom of brick walls are all common entries, regardless of the age of the house.
Other things people find
- Winged insects swarming inside the houseDark, small, many at once near a window — then wings everywhere
- Mud lines running up the slab or the garage wallPencil-width dirt tubes on the foundation, brick or sheetrock
- Fire ant mounds popping up after rainLoose dirt mounds across the lawn, ants that swarm up and sting
- A trail of small ants across the kitchenTiny ants along the counter, sink, window or dishwasher
- Found a scorpion in the housePale yellowish scorpion in the tub, on a wall or in shoes
- A brown spider in the garage, closet or storage boxesPlain brown spider, long legs, found in boxes or clothes
- Big roaches coming up from the drain or the garageLarge reddish-brown roach in the tub, sink or garage at night
- Small roaches in the kitchen cabinetsLight-brown roaches with two dark stripes, near the sink or appliances
- Scratching in the attic or walls at nightScurrying overhead after dark, usually once the weather cools
- Waking up with bites in a line or clusterItchy bites after sleeping, dark specks on the mattress seams
- Mosquitoes make the backyard unusableBites on the patio at dusk, or even in the middle of the day
- Fleas in the house even after treating the petsBites around the ankles, tiny jumping insects in the carpet
- Pests in a house that was just builtCrickets, ants or scorpions in a home that is a year or two old
ZIP codes covered
Mostly built since 2000
Older neighborhoods, 1970s–1990s