Does Squirrel Feces Carry Hantavirus?
No, squirrel feces aren’t a hantavirus concern. Squirrels aren’t among the rodents known to carry the hantaviruses that cause illness in the United States. Those are specific species of mice and rats, mainly the deer mouse, along with the white-footed mouse, the cotton rat and the rice rat. What matters is making sure the droppings in your attic actually came from squirrels.
Which Rodents Carry Hantavirus
The CDC’s report on preventing hantavirus pulmonary syndrome names the deer mouse as the host of Sin Nombre virus, the main cause of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome in the United States. It lists the white-footed mouse, the cotton rat and the rice rat as hosts of other hantaviruses known to cause the illness. Tree squirrels aren’t on that list.
Make Sure the Droppings Are From Squirrels
Attics don’t always hold just one animal. Mice and rats scatter droppings everywhere they travel, so droppings spread along beams, ductwork and the edges of the attic can point to a rodent problem other than squirrels. Tracks help sort it out. On dusty ductwork, squirrels leave little toe prints and rats leave tick marks, and the width of the trails running through attic insulation helps identify which animal made them. If it turns out you have rats, our roof rat removal work is a different job with different entry points than squirrel removal.
Cleanup Still Matters
Even when the droppings are from squirrels, they shouldn’t stay in the attic. Nest material, droppings and urine soak into attic insulation, bring odor and leave the attic insulation crushed and less effective. Whatever animal left them, don’t sweep or vacuum droppings while they’re dry. Wet them down with a disinfectant first and let it soak before cleaning them up.
How We Handle It
The Critter Team provides squirrel removal services that start with identifying every animal in the attic before we set a trap. Once the squirrels are out and the house is sealed, we remove the nest, clean and deodorize the attic, and replace damaged attic insulation.
So Does Squirrel Feces Carry Hantavirus?
No. Squirrels aren’t known carriers of hantavirus in the United States. The rodents behind it are the deer mouse, the white-footed mouse, the cotton rat and the rice rat. Squirrel droppings still need to be cleaned out of the attic, and it’s worth confirming that squirrels are the only animals leaving them.