House Mouse

The House Mouse is one of the most widely distributed and successful mammals in the world. 95% of all rodent activity in domestic dwellings is mice, not rats. Mice do not have bladders so they urinate anywhere at any time. They contaminate food and work surfaces transferring diseases and parasites to humans. They are frequently the source of fleas, lice and mites found in dwellings and workplaces. Mice do not need to drink water; they can squeeze through a gap the width of a pencil; are inquisitive; mainly active at night; are extremely agile and pretty much rely on humans for their entire existence. Fortunately, they are easily trapped.

House Mouse: Description & Life Cycle

There are two species of mice commonly found in homes and buildings:

House Mouse; which is small, dark grey/brown, longish tail and very common in both urban and rural areas.
Long Tailed Field Mouse; which is a prettier mouse with a very long tail, large black eyes, yellowish/brown coat with pale a white underside and it is most common in rural areas.

We will deal with the house mouse, being most common overall, and both species can be controlled in the same way.

Description:

body length of about 10cm with a slightly longer tail
brownish grey in colour
large ears relative to head size

Life cycle:

gestation is about 19-21 days
average litter size of 6-8
5-10 litters per year
young reach sexual maturity in 6-8 weeks
average life span in the wild is under one year due to heavy predation

Signs of infestation:

small mouse dropping about 3-6mm long; look like grains of black rice
usually lots of evidence of things they have been chewing like insulation, pipes, cables, timber and paper
tooth marks on food, usually with the rice sized black droppings alongside