Mice are prolific and can overrun a home in a few months. Mice breed early in their lifecycles and will continue to produce offspring in litters sometimes as many as 7 to 9, several times throughout their lifespan of a year.
When females are ready to reproduce, they emit a pheromone, or scent, that attracts male mice. The males pick up the scent of the females and they produce an ultrasonic mating call that the females can hear. These sounds are unique to each species of mouse and they are at such a frequency that humans are incapable of hearing them. Females also produce an ultrasonic sound to communicate, but not for mating.
Female mice give birth to a litter and within a few weeks, the young are capable of breeding.what does this mean. Mice are born without hearing or sight capabilities. They are hairless until about 5 days after they are born. Their senses also develop within this first week or so. Mice begin to eat solid foods shortly after the first week and will wean from their mother after about a month to six weeks. At this point, they are sexually mature and will begin breeding.
With their ability to mate at such a young age, and the number of offspring each female is capable of producing within her lifetime, mice have the potential of infesting a home or other structures with a very short span of time. If you see any mice activity in your home, or evidence of their presence, such as droppings or gnaw marks, consult a pest control expert. They can help you determine a swift course of action to eliminate mice and keep your home safe.