How To Identify Mice In The Home

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Mice are intelligent robust creatures that carry disease and can be very tricky to eradicate. Here are some signs to look for when trying to identify a mouse infestation.

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Mice are most active at night so you may hear signs of movement or scratching in walls and ceilings. They often gnaw through into rooms at the wall floor junctions under kitchen units so check for holes in these areas as well as around pipes coming up through flooring. Mice can squeeze through a hole the size of a five pence piece. Smear marks are dark shadows left by the oil on mouse fur which can often be found around holes or along routes often used by mice. They leave around 80 droppings per day, and have poor bowel control, so you will often find a trail of small pellets. These droppings are dark brown and similar in size and shape, to a grain of rice. As mouse incisor teeth continually grow they love to gnaw, evidence of this can frequently be found by way of wiring being chewed through in lofts and riser cupboards. Also foot prints and tail swipes can sometimes be seen in very dusty areas.

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How Fast Can A Mouse Infestation Grow?

 

Mice have between 7 to 8 litters per year. The average Litter size is 6 to 8 infants, though can be as many as 16. The female is pregnant for 3 weeks. The infants will be sexually mature and ready to mate within 8 to 12 weeks. So, a pair of mice can have as many as 1500 descendants if all are left to breed uninterrupted, within 1 year.

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Diseases That Can Be Carried By Mice.

 

Salmonella. Hantavirus. Lyme disease

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How To Get Rid Of Mice

 

Mice are clever and can be very difficult to remove using DIY methods, however here are some suggestions you may like to try.

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Mice enter our homes in search of food, and harbourage (they drink very little as they are able to absorb enough fluid via the moisture in the food they consume). So the name of the game is removing all possible food sources. Store all edible items in sealable plastic containers. Store rubbish and recycling in sealed plastic bins. Keep all surfaces free from food debris. Maintain a high standard of hygiene and house keeping.

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Removing harbourage is done by removing clutter and blocking access. Proofing must be done after the mouse infestation is eradicated as the last thing you want to do is trap a mouse in your home. Wire wool or 6mm wire mesh to block holes and steel plates or bristle strips along the bottom of doors is effective.

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Eradication using store bought weak poisons and traps is rarely effective. As previously mentioned mice are highly intelligent so for instance, if the poison is not strong enough or laid in a incorrect dose mice will not digest enough of it, feel ill but not die, and will not feed from the poison again. Conversely, if the dose is too high and the mouse dies quickly after consuming it, other mice will be alerted to its toxicity and will not feed from it. Not to mention the risk to non-target species, either by ingesting the poison itself or secondary poisoning via ingestion of dead rodent.

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Old fashion break back traps can work if you are only dealing with small numbers of mice. However once other mice see a dead mouse in a trap they will not fall for it. If you do try trapping we suggest using chocolate spread or peanut butter as bait. Always be aware of non-target animals. Be prepared to dispatch (kill) the mouse yourself if the trap does not catch the it across the back of its neck (foul catch).

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