I recently discovered what looked like some dirt and small rocks coming out from under a storage rack in my garage. In sweeping it out, I noticed a whole lot more near the back, and under the adjacent fridge. I moved out the fridge, and discovered what looks to be some sort of vermin scat, and possible earth?

Any ideas what I am dealing with? I have no clue how all of this earth could have made it from under the garage into the garage. I have no other explanation for what this could be though. At first I thought a bag of dirt or something opened up in the rack, but I have nothing of the sort stored. .

Mouse or rat shit. Check the fridge motor area for a nest.

Set a couple big rat traps in that area and see what you come up with.

Can mice move that much earth?

Moving all that earth could be a raccoon or an opossum. ?

I've never seen mice or packrats move dirt. Set some mouse and at least one big rat trap. Wire the rat trap to something so it can't drag it away.

Interested to see what you catch.

FWIW I put out 6 bait stations about 16 months ago. check them regularly and add the poison blocks as needed. Initially I was REALLY going through the bait, now barely any at all. The poison has really stopped our rat and mouse issues. Seems to work better than traps.

Poison is of course not without issues.

I've not seen mice or rats crap in one place like that,
usually the are just crap everywhere, not in somewhat neat rows

Chipmunk ? Or a mole ?

Need a better picture of the droppings with something in the pic to provide scale.

Is it possible the noxious rodents have access to the area behind the fridge from outside, through a void in the wall or slab? Maybe the dirt is from their burrowing to get into the garage.

Where’s the cat thread when you need it?

quote:

Originally posted by arfmel:
Is it possible the noxious rodents have access to the area behind the fridge from outside, through a void in the wall or slab? Maybe the dirt is from their burrowing to get into the garage.

That's my best guess.

I'd bet mouse or rat. I've seen em do some pretty incredible things to build homes and nests, and def inside of the fridge by the motor more than once. Warm and cozy and safe in there. I'd sticky trap that sucker, and a few other places around it. They love peanut butter.

quote:

Originally posted by zipriderson:

quote:

Originally posted by arfmel:
Is it possible the noxious rodents have access to the area behind the fridge from outside, through a void in the wall or slab? Maybe the dirt is from their burrowing to get into the garage.

That's my best guess.

Seriously, send me a better pic of the droppings with something for scale so I can tell you what it is. Treatment for mice or rats is different.

quote:

Originally posted by dave7378:


Seriously, send me a better pic of the droppings with something for scale so I can tell you what it is. Treatment for mice or rats is different.

Thanks.

Mice. Looks like there’s a gap at the base of the wall where they’re coming in. Stuff some coarse steel wool in that gap.

Can’t tell if that’s a dime, nickel or quarter from the photo but is that a crack like opening in the floor towards the top of the photo right along the wall. Mice can get through really tiny openings.

quote:

Originally posted by P210:
Can’t tell if that’s a dime, nickel or quarter from the photo but is that a crack like opening in the floor towards the top of the photo right along the wall. Mice can get through really tiny openings.

It's a quarter, and yes that is clearly where they are entering/exiting.

This inside the fridge:

Yuck! Good luck. Poison outside seems like a good idea to me.