The house mouse (Mus musculus) is considered one of the most troublesome and economically important rodents in the United States. House mice live and thrive under a variety of conditions.
They are found in and around homes and farms as well as in open fields and agricultural lands.
House mice consume and contaminate food meant for humans, livestock, or other animals. They cause damage to structures and property, and they may transmit diseases such as salmonellosis (food poisoning).
Recognizing Mouse Infestations:
Droppings, fresh gnawing, and tracks indicate areas where mice are active. Mouse nests, made from fine shredded paper or other fibrous material, are often found in sheltered locations.
House mice have a characteristic musky odour that identifies their presence. Mice are occasionally seen during daylight hours.
House Mouse Facts:
House mice are non-descript, brownish rodents with relatively large ears and small eyes. They weigh about 1/2 ounce and are usually light brownish to light greyish. An adult is about 5 1/2 to 7 1/2 inches long, including the 3- to 4-inch tail.
Although house mice usually feed on cereal grains, they will eat many kinds of food.
They are sporadic feeders, nibbling bits of food here and there. Mice have keen senses of taste, hearing, smell, and touch. They are excellent climbers and can run up any rough vertical surface. They will run horizontally along wire cables or ropes and can jump up 13 inches from the floor onto a flat surface.
Mice can squeeze through openings slightly larger than 1/4 inch in diameter. In a single year, a female may have five to ten litters of usually five or six young each. Young are born 19 to 21 days after mating, and they reach reproductive maturity in six to ten weeks. The life span of a mouse is about nine to twelve months.
Mouse Control:
Effective control involves three aspects: sanitation, mouse proof construction and population reduction. The first two are useful as preventive measures. When a mouse infestation already exists, some form of population reduction is almost always necessary. Reduction techniques include trapping and poisoning.
Sanitation: Because mice can survive in very small areas with limited amounts of food and shelter, it is almost impossible to eliminate them, particularly on farms. Most buildings in which food is stored, handled, or used will support house mice if not mouse proofed, no matter how good the sanitation.
Although good sanitation will seldom eliminate mice, poor sanitation is sure to attract them and will permit them to thrive in greater abundance. Good sanitation will also reduce food and shelter for existing mice and in turn make the baits and traps more effective.
Pay particular attention to eliminating places where mice can find shelter. If they have few places to rest, hide, or build nests and rear young, they cannot survive in large numbers.
Mouse-Proof Construction:
The most successful and permanent form of house mouse control is to “build them out” by eliminating all openings through which they can enter a structure. All places where food is stored, processed, or used should be made mouseproof.
Dried grain and meat products should be stored in glass jars, metal canisters, resealable coffee cans, or other air tight containers. Seal any openings larger than 1/4 inch to exclude mice. Steel wool mixed with caulking compound makes a good plug.
Patching material needs to be smooth on the surface to prevent mice from pulling out or chewing through the patching compound. Seal cracks and openings in building foundations and openings for water pipes, vents and utilities tightly with metal or concrete.
Doors, windows, and screens should fit tightly. It may be necessary to cover the edges with metal to prevent gnawing. Plastic sheeting or screen, wood, rubber, or other gnaw able materials are unsuitable for plugging holes used by mice.
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