Mice

By far the house mouse is the most common rodent in most parts of the world.  The house mouse is only 2” long and can fit through an opening as small as a pencil eraser.  Whether through the garage door, or a small gap in a foundation, these pesky creatures can work their way into your home through the smallest of openings.

House mice primarily feed on seeds and sweets, but they will also eat meat and dairy products. They will drink water but require very little of it as they can absorb water from their food. They will eat their own droppings to acquire nutrients produced by bacteria in their stomach. A crumb of food left behind is all a mouse needs.  They eat 15 – 20 times per day, but because of their small size, it doesn’t take much food to fill their bellies

Simply put, a female house mouse can give birth to up to a dozen babies as much as 10 times per year.  That’s over 100 mice per year.  Given the fact that a female mouse can reproduce after being only 2 months old, it is quite plausible to have more than 1,000 mice living in a structure after only one year.

Even the smallest amount of mouse urine and feces can exacerbate allergies, particularly in children because their immune systems are not fully developed. Mice spread disease through bite wounds and by contaminating food and water with their waste products. Mice can also spread disease thanks to parasites, such as ticks, fleas and mites. These parasites bite the infected mouse and then spread the disease by biting humans.