House Mouse

APPEARANCE:
House mice are gray or brown rodents with relatively large ears and small eyes. An adult weighs about 1/2 ounce and is about 5-1/2 to 7-1/2 inches long, including the 3 to 4 inch tail.

RECOGNIZING MOUSE
INFESTATION/HABITAT:
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.

Nests are located within structures and burrows. They establish a "territory" near food sources that are generally 10 to 30 feet from nest.

DIET:
Although house mice usually feed on cereal grains, they will eat whatever they can find.

LIFE CYCLE/REPRODUCTION:
Mice are prolific breeders by two months of age! They can have litters at any time of year and as often as every 40 or 50 days, with an average of about four to seven young per litter.

TYPES OF DAMAGE/DISEASE:
The house mouse gnaws objects, eats and contaminates stored food, and transmits disease by droppings, urine, bites, and direct contact, or contact with cats, fleas, or mites.

SEVERE CAUSES OF CONCERN:
House mice carry a gallery of diseases, at least 35 worldwide, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In the United States, the big concern is lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus, which can infect a pregnant woman and cause birth defects, including blindness. Another major concern is hantavirus, which killed two people in Pennsylvania in 1997 and has sickened others in many other states.

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