Animal sign
Squirrel scat: small pellets that point to nut trees
Squirrel droppings are small, rounded pellets found under trees, on stumps and logs, and sometimes in attics. Outdoors they are a sign of nut and seed trees nearby.
How to tell it
- Small oblong pellets, about a quarter to three-eighths of an inch long, with rounded ends.
- Brown when fresh, fading lighter with age.
- Scattered loosely rather than piled, often near chewed nut shells, pine cone scales or a feeding stump.
- Indoors: pellets along attic beams and insulation, often with chewed wood or wires.
Where you find it
Gray, fox and red squirrels live across most of the US, wherever there are nut, seed and cone trees, including city yards.
Scientific name: Sciurus
Look-alikes
Smaller, like rice, with pointed ends. Indoors, treat any small droppings as mouse droppings and clean them the CDC way.
Round balls the size of a pea, light brown and full of plant fiber, left in groups in grassy areas.
Larger, about a half inch or more, dark, with blunt ends.
What it tells you
Outdoors, squirrel sign tells you there are nut and seed trees close by, and the survival manual names squirrels among the small animals to know in an area. Indoors, droppings and chew marks in an attic mean squirrels have moved in, and their nesting can damage wiring.
What to do
- Outside, leave it be and look up for nests (leafy balls high in trees) and feeding spots.
- In an attic, do not sweep up droppings dry. Wet them with disinfectant and wipe them up with gloves, the same way CDC advises for mice.
- Seal entry holes after the squirrels are out, and wash your hands after any cleanup.
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Sources
Written in our own words from these public sources.