House Mouse

House  mouse     : mus domesticus

Technically there is no such thing as a “House Mouse” ……..The house mouse got it`s name by frequenting homes , and became “domesticated”  to our homes  over hundreds of years ,and is now  the most common rodent pest in most parts of the world and a prolific breeder ,a female house mouse can give birth to up to a dozen babies every three weeks. That’s 150 babies a year!

At  Pestguard get lots of calls for mice in the home , mainly in either the kitchen or loft areas .

If you have mice in the kitchen , look behind  the plinth at the base of your floor cupboards ,there you will see droppings  ( the size of a grain of rice) and other debris  that the mouse brings in to nest build , this can be chewed plastic bags, paper,cardboard, small amounts of broken plaster , bits of broken brick work ,straw,etc,etc.

The loft area is another favorite place for mice , and it`s mainly in the winter time that we only go into our lofts  to get the Christmas decorations out that we find evidence of mice as  it`s a nice warm and dry place for them  , and plenty of nesting material like loft insulation.

Check your loft spaces out on a regular basis for mouse signs ,and take action at the first sign of them .

Signs to look out for are the obvious ……….droppings,     and also look at the loft insulation …………holes and tunnels are a tell tale sign that there is activity going on .

Facts about mice 

House mice primarily feed on plants, but they will also eat meat and dairy products. They will drink water but require very little of it. They will eat their own droppings to acquire nutrients produced by bacteria in their guts!

Mice can spread disease through bite wounds and by contaminating food and water with their waste products.

• Mice eat 15-20 times a day, so keep your homes clean and do not leave food out.
• Be sure to empty kitchen and household garbage bins  frequently, and keep bin lids closed
• Check under your kitchen cupboards for droppings ,and also check your loft spaces
• Make sure that your home and storage areas are clean and dry.
• Make sure that you clean your sheds, lofts ,garages,and also look in dog kennels
• Close up any small holes and cracks they can come in through with either wire wool or cement.