House Mouse

Category:

Actual Size: 5” to 8” long including the tail

Characteristics: Light brown to gray to nearly black. Large ears compared to the body.

Habitat: Outside, they build nests near trees. Inside, they inhabit wall voids, cabinets, and garages.

Habits:

  • Reproduce rapidly—in 8 months, 24 mice can multiply to 2000 mice.
  • Can transmit pathogens that cause diseases such as salmonella.
  • Will make as many as 200 visits to a food source in one night.

House Mice in Northern Utah

The house mouse is found across the United States and ranks as the number one rodent pest in most cities. House mice are commensal, meaning they are generally found living in close association with humans and dependent upon the human habitat for shelter and food. House mice thrive throughout the year and can be found in homes, commercial buildings, open fields, and agricultural lands. They contaminate food meant for humans and pets as they forage, dropping feces and urine along the way. House mice can cause considerable damage to structures by chewing through walls, and they can transmit pathogens that cause diseases like salmonella.

House Mouse Habitat

The house mouse is active mostly at night, but it can be seen occasionally during daylight hours. Outdoors, house mice construct nests in fields as well as beneath trees and shrubs. Indoors, mice will build nests in quiet undisturbed places like wall voids, kitchen cabinets, attics, and garages. Droppings, fresh gnaw marks, and tracks or rub marks indicate areas where mice are active. Nests are made from finely shredded paper or other fibrous material, usually in sheltered locations. House mice have a characteristic musky odor that reveals their presence.

House Mouse Behaviors, Threats, or Dangers

The house mouse is omnivorous but prefers grains and cereals. They can contaminate food and can transmit diseases such as salmonella and the bubonic plague. The house mouse can cause significant damage to structures by gnawing and tunneling through walls. They have also been implicated in the generation of fires and explosions in homes and buildings as they will chew on exposed wires inside walls, causing interior walls to catch fire.

If you have a house mouse infestation on your Dallas property, contact us!