How Your Dog's Droppings May Be Secretly Attracting Rodents To Your Yard

Have you noticed an uptick in the number of rodents invading your yard or even getting into your home? Dog droppings (let's be blunt, dog poop) are actually not only making your yard messy, but it's also attracting pests, including both mice and rats. While you may picture rodents in your soil, digging in the garden, or eating food scraps, dog waste is one of their biggest sources of food, especially in urban areas.

Not many people like to clean up the dog waste in their yard, but doing so could be one step in reducing the number of rodents you have within your space. Rodents are problematic, especially since they can carry disease, and they will damage plants, produce, and anything else you have growing in your garden. A scurrying mouse in your yard may not bother you, but they may transition into the home, too, especially during the colder months. That makes removing poop a priority. 

Rats and mice view dog poop as a source of nutrients, and because many dogs living within communities are fairly well-fed, there's often a ton of it available to them. That means mice will not only find the poop and munch away, but because it's a steady source of waste, they may make their nests nearby, so they have a constant area to turn to for their waste needs.

There's quite a bit of speculation as to just how much dog poop impacts rodent infestations, but nevertheless, it is a source of food for them, so you'll want to ensure you're keeping up with the removal of your dog's waste. Rodents are on a constant path to finding a food source and building their nests near them. If you consistently remove dog poop from the yard, there's less risk to you.

Also, note that dog waste isn't good for your lawn — it does not work as a fertilizer! That's because it tends to have a high level of protein in it, which is more acidic than your grass can tolerate. If you live in an area with frequent rain, that's likely helping to keep at least some of the damage at bay by washing some of it away (although rain won't completely dissolve your dog's droppings).

Rodents looking for a food source will always be attracted to an area with something they can eat, including that protein-rich dog poop buffet. If you want to get rodents out of your yard that are already present, start by removing this food source. Remove as much of it as possible and create a routine where you head out after your dog has gone to remove the material as soon as possible. If you cannot do it that often, aim for several times a week or consider paying a service to clean up the dog's poop.

If you have a pesky rodent problem, you'll also need to remove any other potential sources of food, including cleaning up the area around garbage cans. Move bird feeders out of the area as well, positioning them as far from your home as possible. Also, tackle any type of shelter for rodents, like wood that's stacked near the home or debris that's fallen under a tree. 

As you work to remove dog poop from your yard, you're making it harder for rodents to stick around, but they will continue to look for food close by. By removing all of their options, sealing off your home, and getting rid of shelters, they have no choice but to move on.