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House Mouse on three feet on alert - commercial mouse control in Malvern, AR | City Termite & Pest Control

House Mouse

Actual Size: 5 to 8” long including the tail

Characteristics: Light brown to gray to nearly black. Large ears compared to the body.

Habitat: Notorious for infesting residential buildings, including houses, apartments, and other living spaces.

Habits:

  • High reproduction rate. Females are capable of producing several litters per year.
  • In a single night, they may visit a food source up to 200 times.
  • May also burrow into insulation or other soft materials to create nesting sites.
  • Pose health risks to humans by contaminating food and spreading diseases through their urine, droppings, and saliva.


House Mice in Central Arkansas

Present throughout the United States, the house mouse holds the dubious distinction of being the primary rodent pest in many urban areas. These rodents exhibit commensal behavior, meaning they typically reside in close proximity to humans and rely on human environments for both shelter and sustenance. Thriving year-round, house mice inhabit various locations such as homes, commercial properties, open fields, and agricultural sites. As they scavenge for food, they contaminate human and pet food supplies by leaving behind feces and urine. Additionally, their penchant for gnawing through building structures leads to considerable property damage, while their transmission of pathogens such as salmonella contributes to the spread of foodborne diseases.

House Mouse Habitat

In outdoor settings, house mice fashion nests within fields and beneath the cover of trees and shrubs. Indoors, they prefer quiet, undisturbed spaces such as wall voids, kitchen cabinets, attics, and garages to build their nests. Signs of their activity include droppings, fresh gnaw marks, and tracks or rub marks. Constructed from finely shredded paper or similar materials, their nests are typically situated in secluded locations. The distinct musky odor emitted by house mice often reveals their whereabouts. Although predominantly nocturnal, mice may venture out during daylight hours intermittently.

House Mouse Behaviors, Threats, or Dangers

While the house mouse consumes a variety of foods, it favors grains and cereals. Notorious for contaminating food supplies, it is a vector for diseases such as salmonella and bubonic plague. Its destructive tendencies, including gnawing and tunneling through walls, can cause considerable structural damage to buildings. In addition, house mice have been linked to incidents of fires and explosions in residential and commercial structures, often due to their habit of chewing on exposed wires inside walls, which can lead to sparking and igniting interior surfaces.

If you have a house mouse infestation in your Central Arkansas property, always contact a licensed rodent control company.