Our gardens, however well fenced, are easily accessible to some wildlife species. They regularly look for food in it, have found shelter or are just “passing through”. When we discover feces as a sign of their presence, the question quickly arises: which animal was that? Is a squirrel responsible for this? These features speak for themselves.
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Combine multiple clues
None of us are professionals who know the characteristics of squirrel poo, let alone recognize it as such at first glance. It is therefore important to look for traces and clues and then interpret them correctly. So there can be no risk of confusion. Because while we can make friends with a squirrel in the garden, we will want to fight other animal species as soon as possible.
Observe the stool from a safe distance without touching it with your bare hands. Feces from wild animals can contain disease-causing parasites. Take a photo and compare it with other photos published on the Internet. Maybe you know how to show it to someone who is familiar with it.
Storage location is not a useful clue
Squirrels, scientifically Sciurus, are indiscriminate when it comes to where they defecate. No spot in the garden is safe from these nimble climbers, they can even climb onto balconies. Therefore, the place of discovery cannot be a concrete indication. They also do not choose a fixed place where they regularly defecate. Squirrels also don’t bother burying or covering their droppings.
Squirrel droppings are every season
Even in winter, the squirrel leaves its den for several hours to visit its food hiding places. Its legacies can therefore be found at any time of the year. If you find something in winter, there is hardly any risk of confusing it with hedgehog droppings, because the prickly little animals are not out and about in nature at this time.
Color nuance as an indication
You can also tell from the color if it could be squirrel droppings. Coloration may vary slightly depending on what the rodents have eaten days before. It’s usually dark brown, occasionally black, or something in between. But the color of the droppings can only be an indication, because other wild animals also have similarly colored droppings. So there is still a risk of confusion.
Size and shape of the pieces of faeces
Squirrel droppings are made up of several separate pieces. They are small, usually between two and three centimeters long. The appearance can best be compared to that of a roller. Hedgehog droppings are also cylindrical, but shiny black.
Nature of the vomit
Squirrel droppings have a more solid structure. This is because it is more dry than wet. Both features can be clearly seen with the naked eye. If you want to be sure, you can test it with a stick.
Outgoing smells
You can’t tell squirrel poop by smell, it’s odorless. Probably because the animals feed mainly on plants. Thanks to the odorlessness there is no risk of confusion with the highly health-threatening rat droppings. Rats also mark their territory with urine that stinks of ammonia.
Visible remains in the faeces
Squirrels do not fully digest their food , so small, highly visible remains can often be found in their droppings. For example:
- Together
- nut pieces
- flower buds
- mushrooms
If in doubt: ask the experts!
If you are unsure about your conclusions and want to eliminate any likelihood of confusion, you can contact an expert. So employees of a zoo can be familiar with it, or experienced pest controllers. If you identify the droppings as squirrel droppings, you can safely rule out that the droppings came from a harmful rat.
dispose of feces
Once you have discovered and inspected the feces, you should dispose of them immediately. Not only can someone accidentally step on it, its appearance can be enticing to animals and small children. Avoid touching the feces. It is best if you use disposable gloves and then dispose of them as well. The droppings are placed in a bag, sealed and taken to the residual waste bin outside.
drive away squirrels
If you no longer want to find squirrel droppings in your garden, you would have to set about driving the animal out of its traditional territory. This won’t be easy.
