Mice Fact Sheet

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Infestation Identification: Mice are small rodents with pointed noses, large ears, they are covered in fur apart from their tails which are usually hairless. There are many different species of mice, which vary in size and colour, the most common species in the UK are Field Mice and House Mice

The Field Mouse has sandy brown fur with a grey or white stomach with larger back feet. Adults lengths are 8 to 10cm not including the tail lengths which are 7 to 9cm.

The House Mouse is the most common mouse, it has greyish fur, an elongated nose, large rounded ears and a scaly tail. Adults lengths are 7 to 10cm not including the tail lengths which are 7 to 9cm.

You will notice their faecal matter scattered around the areas they have been, the droppings are brown or black, cylindrical shaped and between 3 to 6mm long. You may also notice smear marks if they have run against walls or on surfaces, this is due to the oils from the mice fur. Mice are continuously gnawing on food packaging, wood, brickwork, cardboard, wiring, pipes and furniture, the list is endless of items they will chew and cause damage to, which can be extremely expensive to repair and very dangerous because they can cause electrical fires and other fatal issues. Mice chew because they need to wear down their incisor teeth grow continuously.

 

Common Names: Apodemus Sylvaticus (Field Mouse), Mus Domesticus (House Mouse)

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Diet: Field Mice feed on berries, fruit, nuts, seeds, insects and snails. House Mice feed on bread, cheese, cereal, fruit, vegetable, meat and are even known to cannibalistic. Mice will basically eat anything that they can chew through.

 

Habitat: Mice can live indoors and out, if they live outside they will make burrows underground or find shelter in places like sheds, garages, greenhouses and farms. For mice that live indoors, they will build nests in lofts, under kitchen units, under flooring, in wall cavities, airing cupboards and other places they will not be disturbed by humans. They can gain access into spaces as little as 5mm.

 

Prevention: The most important prevention method is to ensure that all food stuffs are cleaned and cleared after use and that bins are cleaned, emptied and always covered. It can be difficult to prevent mice entering your property if you don’t know what to look for and where. Any hole which is 5mm or more is a potential way for mice to access your property.

 

Life Cycle: Field mice breeding seasons are in March to April and October to November. Their gestation period is approximately 25 days, producing 22 to 160 babies per year.

House mice breed throughout the year, their gestation period is approximately 21 days, producing 28 to 128 babies per year.

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General Information: The life span of mice is between 2 and 3 months, however in the wild they can survive for up to 20 months. Mice can give birth when they are 2 months old and can have up to 160 babies a year. Mice are nocturnal so they are mainly active at night.

 

Treatments: There are amateur poisons which can be purchased in shops, however, these are often not strong enough to eradicate mice, especially large infestations. The reason for this is because only low doses of the active ingredients like Difenacoum and Brodifacoum are used, professional rodenticides have a much greater strength. Snap traps are another method which can be used and baited with chocolate, raisins or something similar, however, they will only catch one at a time, so infestations will continue to grow.

 

Quick Facts:

• Mice are good at jumping and climbing and can swim.

• House Mice produce 40 to 100 droppings a day.

• Mice can give birth when they are 2 months old and can have up to 160 babies a year.

• They can gain access into spaces as little as 5mm.

• Mice chew because they need to wear down their incisor teeth grow continuously.

• Mice spread numerous diseases such as Salmonella, E.coli, Lyme Disease and Hantavirus.

• They don’t need to drink water as the water from the food they eat contains enough to keep them alive.

• Mice carry fleas, ticks and lice, spreading more diseases.

• Rodent faecal matter can trigger allergies and cause asthma attacks.

• Mice are nocturnal and are mainly active at night.