House Mouse

The house mouse is thought to have originated in the grassy plains of central Asia somewhere
near the Iran and Russian border and was transported west on ships of the early trade merchants.

Because of it's small size and adaptability, and the fact that it needs very little food or space, the
mouse is capable of living in almost any environment.  With the exception of man, the house
mouse is the most numerous and widespread mammal on earth and is, by far, our number one
rodent pest.

The house mouse is identified by a small, slender body weighing between 1/2 to 1 ounce, as an
adult.  The ears are large, the tail is longer than the head and body combined, and the color is
dark gray on the back and light gray on the belly, ( as a general rule) though there are many
variations possible.

              Deer Mouse

Occasionally, the Deer mouse, and less frequently, the Harvest mouse will invade buildings near
fields or wooded areas and may be confused with the house mouse.

            Harvest Mouse

As with all pests, it is important to understand the biology and behavior of rodents in order to de-
velop effective control programs.

When living conditions are good, ( plentiful food, water, and shelter) rodents can multiply rapidly.
However, when stress is placed on these mammals with the elimination of any or all of these con-
ditions, then reproduction slows considerably.

A female produces between four and seven pups per litter, after a gestation period of 19 days.
These pups are born blind and naked but are covered with fur within a week and have the use
of both hearing and sight but not to a keen extent.  By the third or fourth week, the pups are
weaned and begin to make short, exploratory trips out of the nest.  By now, they are feeding
on solid food and are being taught how to find their own food and water and how to be able
to hide and run away from danger.

A female will, typically, produce about 8 litters in her lifetime but if conditions are ideal, she is
capable of producing a litter every 24 to 28 days, with her normal lifespan being a year or less.

In cities, mice spend their entire lives inside buildings, while in suburban and rural areas, mice
may live in buildings, but more commonly live outdoors among weeds and shrubbery and only
come inside when winter is imminent and they need a place for shelter and accessibility to food.

Mice set up nests near food sources and rarely travel more than 30 to 35 feet away from that
nest.  They live in walls, attics, suspended ceilings and inside large appliances( around the motor
housing).  Outdoors, mice construct nests among debris or in ground burrows, with that nest
being made of paper, insulation, furniture stuffing, and any chewable, soft material.

When feeding, mice can be described as nibblers.  When food is plentiful, mice may make 20-
30 short visits to various food sites within their " territories", randomly nibbling on tiny amounts
of food, here and there.  Often restaurants will think they are infested with mice because they
will find numerous bun wrappers torn open and bits of bread eaten, when in actuality, it may be
only three or four mice making numerous trips, back and forth.

Mice require very small amounts of water to survive and may drink between 3 and 9 milliliters
of water when water is readily available, but when no water is available, mice can survive by
extracting water from food items.  Their specialized body functions allow them to conserve water
when water is scarce or during droughts.
 
                                                                                                                                       HOME PAGE