Botanic Garden >> Gardening > >> Question and Answer >> Pests

Droppings and Chewed Potato: Mice, Not Moles

Droppings on furniture/floor, chewed potato, failed traps in VA home = mice (or rats), not moles. Moles almost never enter homes. Shrews possible but don't eat potatoes. Rats are trap-shy. Steps: 1) ID droppings via icwdm.org inspection guide. 2) Find entry points. 3) Learn control methods. Hire pro only after reading guides to vet them. Send high-res droppings photos to svantassel2@unl.edu.

Pests: Sawdust Threads on Oak Tree: Wood Borers or Caterpillar Frass—Diagnosis Steps; Deer Damage on Long Island: Fencing, Repellents, and the Deer Shield Device; Mystery Brown Pellets in Basement: Scat Identification Needed; Vole Control: Trapping Effectiveness and Legal Dust Restrictions; Mole or Vole? Don’t Use Peanut Butter for Moles; Identifying Burrowing Animal by Droppings & Hole in Texas; Mice in Attic and Walls: Food Source and Trapping; Live-Catch Mole Traps: Coffee Can Method (Not Recommended); Mole Hills in Play Areas: Trapping Beats Repellents; Identifying Mysterious Droppings in Stored Clothing

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