PEST EVIDENCE GUIDE US HOMESOBSERVE COMPARE DOCUMENT
Pest EvidenceGUIDE / US HOMESStart with a clue

PEST EVIDENCE GUIDE / VISIBLE CLUE

Identify pest droppings

Droppings are easy to misread. The same dark speck can look different on wood, fabric, or a kitchen cabinet. Start with location and nearby signs, then use an individual guide for the pest you suspect.

Explore 12 guides Record an observation
A pile of drywood termite fecal pellets on wood below a small opening
From the guide: Termite droppings: what to look forPhoto: Sanjay Acharya / Wikimedia Commons. Resized for web. · CC BY-SA 3.0
OBSERVE THE SIGNCOMPARE THE POSSIBILITIESDOCUMENT WHAT CHANGES

THE RELEVANT EVIDENCE

Guides in this collection

12 / GUIDES
WOOD CLUES

Termite droppings: what to look for

Compare drywood termite droppings with sawdust and other wood-pest debris. See the clues that warrant a professional inspection.

Read guide WOOD CLUES

Carpenter ant frass: sawdust-like debris

Compare carpenter ant nesting debris with drywood termite pellets and note the clues around damaged wood.

Read guide DROPPINGS

Roach poop and cockroach droppings

Identify likely cockroach fecal specks by their location and accompanying clues, and learn when to seek confirmation.

Read guide DROPPINGS

Mouse droppings: signs and safe next steps

Learn where mouse droppings may appear, how they compare with rat droppings, and why safe cleanup matters.

Read guide DROPPINGS

Rat droppings: compare signs safely

Document suspected rat droppings, compare with mouse signs, and follow CDC cleanup guidance.

Read guide DROPPINGS

Bed bug stains and dark spots

Compare dark spots and reddish stains with other physical bed bug evidence using EPA guidance.

Read guide DROPPINGS

Flea dirt: dark specks on a pet or its bedding

Understand flea dirt as a veterinary clue and document where dark specks were found without diagnosing from a stain.

Read guide DROPPINGS

Squirrel droppings: why pellets alone are not enough

Assess a suspected squirrel finding using building context and safe observations rather than a pellet-shape diagnosis.

Read guide DROPPINGS

Bat droppings: guano clues and safe next steps

Document suspected bat guano without disturbing it, and compare roost context with other attic evidence.

Read guide DROPPINGS

Raccoon droppings: recognizing a possible latrine

Learn which context suggests a raccoon latrine and why uncertain wildlife waste should be left undisturbed.

Read guide DROPPINGS

Lizard droppings: a dark pellet with a white portion

Compare suspected gecko or lizard droppings and understand the limits of the white-tip clue.

Read guide DROPPINGS

Spider droppings: spotting beneath a web

Assess suspected spider spotting using a visible web, prey remains, and the limits of stain-only identification.

Read guide

FROM THE JOURNAL

Go a step further.

All articles
01Travel and secondhand itemsChecking a hotel room for bed bug evidenceA travel checklist for documenting a suspected finding and reporting it clearly to hotel staff.02Travel and secondhand itemsChecking used furniture for bed bug evidence before bringing it homeA pre-move observation checklist focused on physical evidence, inaccessible areas, and when to pause the purchase.03Working with professionalsQuestions to ask a pest professional before agreeing to treatmentUse the evidence record to discuss identification, scope, alternatives, and follow-up with a pest-control provider.04Working with professionalsA cockroach in an apartment: make a useful maintenance reportRecord sightings and physical evidence clearly so an apartment inspection can be coordinated.