House Mouse
Mus musculus Linnaeus
Do not let your mouse problem multiply. This household rodent produces an average of 35 offspring per year and is a carrier of potentially deadly disease, as well as fleas and mites. They may be living in your furniture, basement, walls, and insulation and feeding on the food in your pantry, damaging your home and putting your family and pets at risk.
RISK LEVEL:
LOW
MEDIUM
HIGH
Risk is defined as how much damage each pest can be to you, your family, or your home
- Look for mice in furniture, basement, walls, and insulation.
- Check for gnaw marks.
- Watch out for droppings.
- De-clutter your home to prevent mice from nesting there.
- Examine cracks or holes in your home, as they can serve as entranceways for mice.
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| Class: | Order: | Family: | |
| Mammalia | Rodentia | Muridae | |
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| Size: | House mouse adult's head+body length is 2.5-3.5 in (6.5-9 cm ); tail length is 2.75-4 in (7-10 cm ); weight is 0.5-1 ounce. |
| Color: | Varied, but usually light brown to dusty gray on top, light gray or cream on belly. |
| Characteristics: | Smooth fur; pointed muzzle, small eyes, large ears with some hair; short and broad feet; dark, scaly semi-naked tail. |
| Geographic Range: | House mice are probably from central Asia, but now all over the world and throughout the U.S. |
| Food: | House mice eat many kinds of food, but especially seeds. Main feedings are at dawn and dusk. They get moisture from their food, but will take water also, especially when eating protein. They prefer sweet liquids. |
| Biology: | Mice are social. Related male and female house mice are compatible, but unrelated males are aggressive. Small sized territories, marked with urine, are maintained by a dominant male, with lower-ranking males and females. Mature house mice are aggressive towards strangers of either sex. They mature in 35 days, and live about 1 year, but can survive to 6 years. Pregnancy takes 18-21 days, with 5-8 young per litter, 8 litters per year, and 30-35 mice are weaned per year. A female can have a litter every 40-50 days, so more than 1 litter may be in the nest at a time. They see clearly only 6 inches ahead, and are color blind. They climb, run up rough walls and along pipes, ropes, and wires, jump 12 inches high and down from 8 feet, and sometimes swim. They can survive in 14 degrees F (-10 C). |
Prevention Tips For
Vertebrate Pests
Vertebrate Pests
- Caulk and seal any holes or cracks that could be used as entry points
- Put copper mesh over any large holes that could be used as entry points
- Keep doors and windows closed and properly screened to prevent accidental entry
- Remove clutter in and around home
- Clean up spills immediately
- Keep food in a seal-tight container
- Keep grass cut short
- Keep shrubs and plants properly spaced away from exterior of home
- Seal all holes in and around plumbing/piping
- Remove ivy from exterior walls as it allows entry to upper floors/roof
It only takes a few minutes to start protecting your home today.
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