If you've found a mouse in your home or business, it's likely a house mouse. House mice are the most common mammal in the world and the most commontype of mouse to invade a home. They are highly adaptable and resilient creatures and have been found living in various environments from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. According to the Department of Agriculture, rodents have even been found living on Andaman – Nicobar Island.

If you're not sure if you have a mouse guest or some other pest type, we're ready to help. In this chapter, we'll show you how to identify a mouse and discover its hideout.

Types of Pest Mice

There are many different types of mice present in India. The top 3 species considered to be a major pest in this country are the House Mouse, Field Mouse and the Yellow Necked Field Mouse. Few important details regarding them are as below:

• Field Mice (Apodemus sylvaticus): Field mice rarely venture into inhabited buildings but in the winter months, they will go into outhouses and sheds where fruit and vegetables are stored. Field mice are a big threat to businesses operating in farming and agriculture.

Field Mice Appearance

• Size: adult head and body 80 – 100mm in length; Tail 70 – 90mm.
• Weight: Male can weigh 25g, and the female 20g.
• Sandy / orange brown fur on the head and back.
• Yellowish fur on the flanks and white on the belly.
• There is usually a small streak of yellow on the chest.

Lifecycle

• Their lifespan averages two to three months, but they can survive as much as 20 months in the wild, or two or more years in captivity.
• Breeding seasons are March/April to October/November and gestation lasts approximately 25 days. They grow their first fur after six days; their eyes open after 16; and they are weaned at around 18 days old.
• Survival of the young and adults is poor during the first half of the breeding season as adult males can be aggressive towards one another and to the young, who are then driven from the nest.

Habits

• They eat a high proportion of the seed crop of trees such as oak, beech, ash, lime, hawthorn and sycamore. In [country], numbers can reach plague proportions in the grain belt areas.
• Small snails and insects are particularly important sources of food in late spring and early summer when seeds are less available.
• They also eat apples and will attack newly planted legume seeds.

• House Mice (Mus domesticus): House mice are active all year round, which means you could find them invading your home or business at any time.

House Mice Appearance

• Size: 70 – 95mm in length, with a tail around the same length.
• Weight: 12 – 30g.
• Their relatively small feet & head and large eyes & ears distinguish them from a young brown rat (Rattus norvegicus).

Lifecycle

• 4 – 16 young per litter; 7 – 8 litters a year.
• Gestation period of about 3 weeks.
• 8 – 12 weeks from birth to sexual maturity

Habits

• Usually ground living and burrowing, but often climbs.
• Preferred food is cereals.
• Will eat around 3g of food a day and can survive without any additional water. They will drink up to 3ml a day if their diet is particularly dry.

Generally, most types of mice do not hibernate and stay active in the winter, seeking food and shelter. As winter approaches, pest mice try to get inside homes, garages and other types of shelters.

Pest Mice and Hantaviruses

Although field mice nest outdoors, you'll still want to take action if you find these rodents in your house. field mice and house mice mostly are known to carry hantaviruses. Not every field mouse or house mouse is infected with hantavirus, but it's hard to tell which ones are.

Certain hantaviruses can cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), a severe respiratory disease. The Indian Society of Critical Care Medicine report that HPS is rare, but it has occurred time to time everywhere in the India. You can get hantavirus by breathing in virus particles from mouse urine or droppings. You can also get it by touching nesting materials, urine or feces and then touching your nose or mouth. To be safe, always address a mouse problem immediately, no matter what type of mouse is in your home.

How to Identify a Mouse

It can be tricky to identify a mouse because of how fast they zip across the floor. However, if you catch a glimpse of the speedy creature, look for the following traits to determine if it's a mouse or another rodent:

• Large ears and small head
• Small, black eyes
• Triangular snout
• Thin tail with sparse or short hairs
• Small body of about 6 inches long, including the tail
• Brown, grey, black or white coat

Since mice have poor eyesight, they use their whiskers to navigate and usually travel along walls. So, if you're looking for mice in your home, expect to find them scurrying from one point to the next close to the wall.

Where Do Mice Live?

In general, mice live in nests made of soft, light materials such as plants, paper, string, fabric and insulation. Nests are usually about 4 inches across. Mice are very adaptable and resourceful and will build a nest anywhere hidden and near a food source.

Outdoors, house mice live in burrows, tree hollows, logs, weeds, debris piles or cracks in walls or rocks. Field mice prefer to build nests around tree roots, inside tree stumps, under logs or in woodpiles.

Inside a home, house mice, field mice have the same nest-building preferences. Mice may live in the walls, under or inside appliancesor furniture, under cabinets or in crawl spaces or storage boxes.

As long as mice have access to food, they will not travel more than 50 feet from their nest. Therefore, if you find a mouse in your home, their nest likely isn't too far away. Mice have an excellent memory, memorizing pathways, obstacles, food sources and shelters in their territory

Are Mice Nocturnal?

Yes, mice are generally nocturnal and rarely seen by a homeowner. This means they prefer to sleep during the day and forage for food at night. However, mice are very curious creatures, and they will explore their surroundings during the day if they don't detect movement and think they're alone. You may also see mice in the daytime if you have a heavy infestation, and the rodents are running out of places to hide.

Where Do Mice Hide During the Day?

Mice hide wherever they can find a secret shelter, including very tiny areas. They might take cover in walls, cabinets, cluttered corners or any tight spot they can dodge into, usually not too far away from their nest. A mouse typically spends its entire life within a 20-foot radius of its nest.

Where Do Mice Hide in Stoves?

Mice might have nests behind or underneath a stove. They might also hide in the insulation of a stove. If mice have nested in your stove, they may have also chewed through the wiring. In such a case, it's probably best to replace the stove with a new one and take steps to prevent mice from coming into your home.

Do Mice Hide in Clothes?

Since mice prefer secret spots and like soft, cozy materials, they can hide in piles of old clothes or storage boxes containing clothes.

Will a Mouse Crawl on You While You’re Sleeping?

Mice are good climbers, and they can jump as high as 12 inches, so they could crawl on you while you sleep. However, it's not likely they will want to climb into your bed unless they smell food and are desperate for something to eat. Luckily, mice would prefer to avoid human contact.

How Do You Know If You Have a Mouse Infestation?

You might never see an actual mouse unless you have a severe infestation, so you'll have to look for other signs, such as droppings in a kitchen drawer or food packages with gnaw marks. In the next chapter, we'll show you more signs to look for during your mouse investigation.

If you've found evidence of a mouse infestation or want to learn more, we're here to help at Lifecycle Pest Control.