White-Footed Mouse
Peromyscus leucopus (Rafinesque)
Finding a mouse in your home may be more serious than the initial scream and jump on the chair suggests. Mice not only infiltrate food and damage furniture, but can also pose a serious health threat to you and your loved ones. Hantavirus is a deadly disease that is transmitted by inhaling dust contaminated with mice and rodent urine and droppings.
RISK LEVEL:
LOW
MEDIUM
HIGH
Risk is defined as how much damage each pest can be to you, your family, or your home
- Often enter homes in the winter to escape outside temperatures.
- May notice mouse feces in areas of your home.
- You may find teeth or gnaw marks through food or cardboard.
- Often enter through extremely tiny cracks in your pipes or walls.
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| Class: | Order: | Family: | |
| Mammalia | Rodentia | Muridae | |
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| Size: | White-footed mouse head+body length is 3.5-4 in (9-10 cm ); tail length is 2.5-4 in (6.4-10 cm ); hind foot is 7/8 in (2.2 cm) long; ears are less than 1/2 in (1.3 cm) high. Weight is 3/8 to 1-1/2 ounces. |
| Color: | Upper parts are grayish to reddish brown; belly and feet are white; tail is the same two colors. The young have gray upper parts and white bellies. |
| Characteristics: | Tail is longer than half but usually less than length of head+body, and is covered with short hairs or fur. Hind feet have 6 pads each. |
| Geographic Range: | Eastern U.S. from mid-Maine so. to w. North Carolina, no. South Carolina, no. Georgia, and no. Alabama; west to Montana, no. Colorado, c. Arizona. |
| Food: | The white-footed mouse eats seeds, nuts, fruit, beetles, caterpillars, other insects. Favorite foods include the center of the black cherry pit and jewel weed seed. Seeds and nuts are stored near nest in autumn. |
| Biology: | White-footed mice are nocturnal. They are active all year. They may stay in nest, or enter structures in cold weather. A few may hibernate in northern parts of range. Females begin to breed at 10-11 weeks of age, and have 2-4 litters per year, with 2-6 young per litter. Pregnancy is about 3 weeks long. Life span is 2-3 years in the wild, 5 or more in captivity. |
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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