Keeping House Mice Out of Your Home: Effective Prevention and Control Strategies

Finding a mouse in your home can be emotionally draining, and for good reason. Despite their small size, house mice can cause significant visible and hidden damage to the home. They can transmit diseases such as hantavirus and often fleas and mites, which can feed on people and pets.

House Mouse Identification

The house mouse (Mus musculus) is small, thin, light and hairy. An adult’s tail is approximately as long as the total length of the head and body, for a total length of 5¼ to 7¾ inches. Their fur is smooth and their color is dark on their back and light brown or white on their belly, but their tail is semi-naked and uniformly dark. They have small eyes and big ears.

House mice are similar in appearance to deer mice, which are bicolored. Deer mice are pale gray-beige to dark reddish-brown on the back and white on the belly with a distinct line where the two colors meet, and their tails are distinctly bicolored.

Signs of A House Mouse Infestation

Mice can be identified by their appearance, but their presence can be much more obvious. According to the National Pest Management Association, signs of a house mouse infestation include:

• Gnaw marks: House mice leave chisel-like markings on surfaces around holes that they use to gain entrance or find food
• Droppings: House mouse droppings are ⅛ to ¼ inch long and rod-shaped, and have pointed ends
• Tracks/footprints: House mice have four toes on their front feet and five toes on their back feet
• Rub marks: House mice leave dirty, greasy streaks on vertical surfaces along walls as they move throughout a home
• Runways: House mice frequently use the same paths, usually along walls and stacked materials
• Damaged goods: Mice prefer seeds and cereals and may damage food containers to get them

Where Do House Mice Nest?

Mice like to nest in soft, warm places. They build nests and raise their young in wall or attic insulation, in storage boxes or drawers containing paper or clothing, in unused upholstered furniture or bedding, and other similar locations. They collect soft materials such as shredded paper, cloth and cotton to cover their nesting area, which is in this undisturbed area or cavity.

Why Are House Mice Dangerous?

House mice can be more than just a nuisance. They can spread a number of airborne diseases through their feces, urine and saliva. The most dangerous disease they carry is salmonella, which can contaminate food sources and cause food poisoning. Other diseases they transmit include infectious jaundice/leptospirosis/Weil disease, which is transmitted through urine, bubonic plague, and typhoid fever. Additionally, mice can spread airborne allergens that contribute to respiratory diseases such as asthma. Finally, mice gnaw and chew on various objects because their incisors are constantly growing and must remain worn down. Unfortunately, they often eat away at electrical wires, which can lead to short circuits and sometimes even fires.

House Mouse Habits

House mice are opportunistic eaters and nibblers. They feed primarily at two times of day, at dusk and just before sunrise, with many mini-feedings in between. House mice leave droppings and urine droplets wherever they stay or travel. They prefer dark, isolated nesting sites that contain plenty of nesting material and can squeeze through an opening as small as 1/4 inch to get where they want to go.

Rodent Control and Prevention

There are many things you can do around your home every day to prevent or control a house mouse infestation:

• Keep grass mowed to less than 3 inches in height. High grass provides a place for them to hide and move around, and seeds are mouse food.
• Eliminate clutter. Mice love to turn cluttered areas into nesting areas.
• Create a one-foot, vegetation-free gap between the structure’s wall and any plants. This will help discourage mice from trying to dig into the walls of your home.
• Be careful with how you store and put out bird seed—mice love it just as much as birds do.
• Seal off any entry points that house mice may be using, including cracks around doors and windows, holes in walls ¼ inch wide or larger, and utility line entrances. Use concrete, silicone-based caulk, cloth, or metal mesh/steel wool, depending on what works best for each scenario.

House Mouse Traps

If you want to catch house mice, snap traps are the most effective type you can use. Using small rodent baits such as peanut butter or pieces of fruit, bait the trigger and place it against a wall where it is likely to roam. Other useful traps include self-contained live traps, glue boards and rodenticides. However, continued use of rodenticides is discouraged because they can be dangerous to children and pets. Additionally, a dead mouse can land on an inaccessible floor or wall, which can attract flies and other pests and create foul odors.

Pest Control Problems Call Critter Control of San Jose

You can certainly try to fix a mouse problem yourself, but many DIY mouse control solutions only work for a short time or don’t fix the entire problem. If you are unable to do this or need help, it is time to call in a pest control professional to conduct a thorough inspection and help you develop a plan to eliminate mice in and around your home. Contact Critter Control of San Jose today for a free estimate!