Mice
Key
Features of Mice
The adult house mouse is small and slender – about
1-2 inches long, excluding tail. It has large ears,
a pointed nose and small eyes. The tail is as long as
the head and body combined. Its fur is usually a light
grey or brown.
The House Mouse, and sometimes the Long-Tailed Field
Mouse, seek the warmth and shelter of buildings for
nesting sites and food. Their presence is usually detected
from their dark-coloured droppings or damage to stored
foods in the larder, packaging or woodwork.
Biology
Mice become sexually mature in eight to ten weeks, and
a pair may produce eight litters each of 16 young, in
a year. Multiply those and you arrive at a horrifying
number of mice!
They climb well and can squeeze through very small
gaps. These nibbling nuisances have a compulsive need
to gnaw in order to keep their incisor teeth worn down
to a constant length.
The average mouse sheds 70 droppings in 24 hours and
urinates frequently to mark its territory. Mice are
erratic, sporadic feeders, nibbling at many sources
of food rather than taking repeated meals from any one
item. They do not need free water to drink as they normally
obtain sufficient moisture from their food.
Distribution
Common throughout Europe, Asia and America, the house
mouse is very shy and is not often seen.
Significance
Mice may seriously damage all water and gas pipes, electric
cables, packaging and woodwork - many instances of electrical
fires and floods have been attributed to them.
They also contaminate far more food than they consume
and they are capable of carrying many diseases, particularly
food poisoning.
Control
Mice can be controlled using a variety of traps and
poison baits. Where children or pets are likely to be
able to access mice control measures, it is recommended
that traps are used over baits. An additional advantage
to using traps is the easy disposal of dead rodents
– there is a possibility of poisoned rodents dying
under floorboards and causing unpleasant odours.
