Common Mouse / House Mouse Exclusion & Removal in CT

HOUSE MOUSE

INTRODUCTION: The house mouse is the most commonly encountered and economically important of the commensal rodents. House mice are not only a nuisance, damage/destroy materials by gnawing, and eat and contaminate stored food, they are also of human health importance as disease or vectors.

RECOGNITION: The house mouse has short gray or brown hair with light gray or cream belly. With muzzle pointed, eyes small, ears large with some hair, with nearly hairless tail longer than its body. Weighs about 0.5-1.1oz., head and body length 2.5-3.75”, tail length 2.75-4”.

HABITS: The house mouse lives in and around homes, farms, commercial establishments, and in open fields, but prefers to live indoors where they will spend their lives within 10 feet of their nest when adequate food and water are present. When foraging, they constantly dribble urine and feces, fouling food preparation areas and contaminating food supplies. The house mouse carries ticks, lice and mites indoors and transmits salmonella pathogens that cause food poisoning.

BIOLOGY: The house mouse is a prolific breeder. They reach sexual maturity in 35 days and mate when 6-10 weeks old. Their gestation period lasts for an average of 19 days. The young are weaned at about 21 days. The average liter size is 6 (range 5-8), with about 8 litters per year. A female can have a new litter about once every 40- 45 days.