Hantaviruses make up a family of viruses that certain rodents carry. According to the CDC, people can become infected by breathing in air contaminated with virus from rodent urine, droppings or saliva. We are pest control, not medicine, so this guide only summarizes public advice. We make no claim about how common the virus is in this area.
The CDC's basic approach: seal up, trap up, clean up.
The CDC's prevention page frames the work in three parts. Seal up holes and gaps so rodents cannot enter. Trap up rodents around the home to reduce the population. Clean up food sources and nesting sites, and handle waste carefully.
The order matters. Closing entries and removing animals reduce new contamination, and careful cleanup deals with what is already there. Our exclusion page and trapping page describe the first two parts.
Cleaning up droppings and nests.
The most important rule is to avoid raising dust. Do not dry-sweep or vacuum droppings or nests. Ventilate the space first, then wet the waste with disinfectant and wipe it up.
- Open doors and windows and leave the space for about thirty minutes.
- Wear rubber, vinyl or similar gloves.
- Spray droppings and surfaces until wet and let them sit about five minutes.
- Wipe up with disposable towels and bag everything.
- Wash your hands thoroughly afterward.
The CDC page linked below gives the full instructions, including mixing disinfectant. For large or heavily contaminated spaces, many people choose professional help.
Places that deserve extra care.
| Place. | Why. | What to do. |
|---|---|---|
| Closed-up sheds and outbuildings. | Stale air and dust. | Air out first, then clean wet. |
| Garages and storage. | Droppings in boxes and totes. | Wear gloves, avoid dust, bag waste. |
| Attics and crawl spaces. | Soiled insulation, hard to ventilate. | Consider professional cleanup. |
| Vehicles stored for a time. | Nests in air boxes and vents. | Air out, wear gloves, clean wet. |
| Seasonal homes. | Closed rooms with signs. | Air out for half an hour first. |
Reducing the chance of exposure.
Keep food in sealed containers, pick up pet bowls at night, store seed and kibble in lidded tubs and remove clutter that gives nests a place. Trim plants back from the walls and keep firewood on a rack. These steps reduce what draws rodents close.
If you see signs of rodents, do not wait. An inspection can find entry points before you need a large cleanup.
Footsteps overhead after midnight? The line is staffed all night, so ring whenever it suits you.
Tap to call (888) 686-4821Which rodents the CDC links to hantavirus.
The CDC describes several kinds of wild rodents as carriers of hantaviruses in the United States, including the deer mouse, the cotton rat, the rice rat and the white-footed mouse. The risk depends on the species and on whether people come into contact with their waste. We make no claim that any particular animal in a Fort Pierce building carries a virus, and we cannot test for it.
What we can say is that the CDC's advice applies to any rodent waste. Handling every dropping and nest with the same careful damp-cleaning routine is the safest approach, and it does not require knowing the species.
A short household routine.
- Store food, pet food and seed in sealed containers.
- Take out trash regularly and keep bins closed.
- Check sheds, garages and storage rooms for signs when you open them.
- Seal gaps as you find them, using metal and sealant.
- Air out any closed space before you go in and clean wet, never dry.
A routine like this does not need to be complicated. Its value is that it makes rodent contact less likely and catches signs early, long before a large cleanup is needed.
Health questions.
If fever, muscle pain or trouble breathing develops in the weeks following contact with rodent waste, see a doctor and tell them about the exposure. We cannot diagnose or advise on health, and a physician should answer any medical question.
For pest problems, phone any hour. Tell us what you found and where, and the dispatcher will explain the next step.
The CDC cleanup method in everyday words
Residents can use the list to keep dust low while a technician is on the way.
- Anything dry stays off the brush and out of the vacuum.
- Stagnant air in a closed room adds to the risk, so throw open the doors and windows and stay outside for about half an hour.
- Gloves go on at the start and your hands go under the tap at the end.
- Disinfect first and collect afterward, after the soaked material has rested about five minutes.
- Tie the bag firmly before carrying it out, and wear a hand barrier whenever a carcass has to move.
- Feeling feverish or short of breath after exposure is a question for a physician, so describe the cleanup to one.
Where the safety steps come from
Agency guidelines stand behind every safety statement here, and each comes with a line about its contents.
- CDC steps for preventing hantavirus exposure: Close the entries before dealing with old droppings and nests, and handle those with care.
- CDC advice on cleaning rodent droppings and nests: Handling urine stains, pellets and shredded bedding without raising dust.