With increased temperatures this week, we may see a return of the mosquitoes that can transmit West Nile virus (WNV) soon because they often make their first appearance of the year in springtime.
So, it’s time to dump out any amount of water in your front and back yard at least once a week, if not more often, to prevent mosquitoes.
Something else that happens at the start of spring is spring cleaning. And after a long cold, wet winter, it’s not uncommon for folks to find rat or mouse droppings as they move the patio furniture from the garage back to the patio, or the potted plants from the shed back outdoors.
Recent news reports have mentioned hantavirus, which, according to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), is a virus found in rat and mouse urine, droppings, and saliva. The virus can be transmitted to people if they breathe air contaminated with the virus, and can cause a serious and potentially fatal lung infection.
In California, hantavirus is most frequently associated with the deer mouse, which is commonly found in or near rural and open space areas of the inland and coastal foothills. This CDPH map shows where hantavirus exposures have occurred from 1980 – 2024.
While the map does not show hantavirus infections in Contra Costa County, rats and mice can transmit the causative agents of a number of bacterial and viral diseases.
When cleaning up evidence of rat and mouse activity, it is very important to remember not to sweep or vacuum droppings or nesting materials because that can spread contaminated dust, making it possible to inhale the dust and putting you at risk of disease.
To reduce the risk of any rat and mouse-related diseases, follow these simple steps to protect yourself and your family.
Open the garage or shed door 30 minutes before moving the patio furniture or potted plants to air out the area.
Then, after putting on a dust filter mask (N95 or N100) and disposable gloves, pour a 10% bleach solution (or purchased bleach-based disinfectant spray) onto any evidence of rats and mice including visible droppings and/or nesting materials.
Once the droppings and nesting materials are completely wet from the bleach solution, use paper towels to wipe up the droppings and nesting materials and place the paper towels in a bag.
When the clean-up is finished, take the gloves off so that the inside of the gloves face outward and place the gloves in the bag. Wash your hands, and then remove your mask and place it into the bag, too. Then, close the bag and place it in an outdoor trash can.
As winter has turned to spring, it is important to take steps to protect yourself and your family from the insects and other animals that can hurt you or make you sick.
Reduce the risk of mosquitoes by dumping out standing water of any amount at least once a week. And never sweep or vacuum rat and mouse droppings or nesting materials. Carefully clean them up using the tips above.
If you experience mosquitoes, particularly daytime biting mosquitoes, or rats, or mice on your property, contact the Contra Costa Mosquito and Vector Control District (District) and request the District’s public health service for rats, mice, or mosquitoes to protect yourself and your family from the insects and other animals that can hurt you or make you sick. After all, that is what, the word, “Vector” means in the Contra Costa Mosquito and Vector Control District’s name.
https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/CDPH%20Document%20Library/CountyofExposureforReportedHantavirus.pdf is a map of Hantavirus cases in California. In summary, there are zero reported cases in Contra Costa and adjacent counties. One puzzle about that map is that 27 year old Melissa Rardin who lived in Byron and worked at Lawrence Livermore Laboratory died of the virus in 1999. At the time she was reported as the first Hantavirus death in the bay area. Thus, it seems to be an extremely rare virus but presumably is in this area.
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When cleaning up rodent droppings I use a spray bottle with water to give the area a dusting of water.
Or use cleaning vinegar which will kill any bacteria. Mice are certainly stinky little things and they will use a heating ducts as their subway to get around the house. There are magnetic screen duct covers that foil their trips. They also behave as if they have been trained to avoid any number of different mouse traps even if those are handled with gloves to avoid the human scent. However they are often stupid enough to run right across a cheap sticky board and get stuck.
Plain water? Are you nuts?
You need to use bleach solution or isopropyl or something hard. It’s —>animal feces<— my dude.
I sprayed a mouse once with bleach based cleaner. It didn’t seem to like it. But it was probably because the cleaner was cold not because of the bleach.
Just buy a cat for the mice, dump water and use repellant for the mosquito