The house mouse is considered to be one most troubling pests in the United States. They can live almost anywhere that people can, and have even been found in more rural settings. The house mouse has been domesticated as well to be used as a valuable laboratory model and as a pet.
House mice range in size from 3-7 inches from the nose to the tip of the tail. Their color ranges from light brown to dark grey in the wild. They have relatively small eyes and feet for their bodies and an almost hairless tail. House mice emit a high pitched squeak when communicating with others or when frightened. They can typically live about a year in the wild due to predators, but have lived up to four years in captivity.
A house mouse is nocturnal, and therefore has a poor sense of sight. They have a keen sense of smell, touch, hearing and taste which allow them to find food. They have a variable diet, eating everything from meat to vegetable material. House mice often infest human establishments in search of food. They are good climbers and are able to jump over a foot high from the ground. They can enter a home through an opening ¼ of an inch in diameter.
Female house mice typically breed year round. In one year, they can produce 25-60 young within five to ten litters a year. The gestational period is 19-21 days. Female mice are capable of breeding as early as six weeks of age. House mice are territorial and a colony usually consists of a dominant male, a few females, and their offspring.
House mice are a concern as carriers of diseases that can infect humans. Tapeworms, ringworm, salmonella, dermatitis, leptospirosis, and rat bite fever are all parasites or diseases that have been transmitted to humans by house mice. They also cause considerable damage to home insulation and building structures. Several hundred house fires a year are contributed to the house mouse chewing through electrical cords.
Sanitation is an important step in preventing mouse infestations. Keeping food tightly sealed and regularly cleaning behind stoves and refrigerators may help prevent an infestation. Seal any opening greater than ¼ of an inch in diameter. Once an infestation has occurred, consult an exterminator.