Does poop attract rats?
Brant McLaughlin
2025-06-07 13:43:12
Count answers: 5
Most experts and websites will tell you that yes, rats are attracted to dog waste. The feces provide rats with nourishment as it contains minerals, carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. All of these things are important to a rat’s diet and they see the waste as a reasonable source of these things. The poop will also likely contain small quantities of food that made it through the digestive system. Since rats are small, they don’t need much of this undigested food to make a meal from a pile of waste. They are likely to choose another option if it is available. It makes sense that rats will choose an item with more concentrated nutrients over dog feces if they have the option. If they don’t have another choice or many of them, canine waste is a reasonable choice for a rat. Since the information is conflicting, it is best to just make sure there isn’t any dog feces around to attract rats.
Javier Zboncak
2025-05-26 15:31:16
Count answers: 2
Dog droppings 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. 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. Rodents are on a constant path to finding a food source and building their nests near them. 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.
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