Mice
Mice are the most common rodent found in homes, hotels, hospitals, schools, and restaurants. Mice are very resourceful and adaptable to any environment. Because of this adaptability mice are able to live almost anywhere. There are two types of mice that are commonly found in Iowa, the house mice and our native deer mice. Deer mice are slightly larger than house mice, and weigh about ½ to one ounce.
Mice may be smaller than a tennis ball, but the damage they can cause is insurmountable. Mice can cause over $2 billion in damage worldwide every year. They can contaminate food and water and weaken structures with their gnawing.
Mice have very bad eyesight so their other senses are very strong. Mice are also very nimble; they can fit through small holes that are only ¼ inch wide. An unknown attribute about mice is their ability to jump. Mice can jump over a foot in height, and mice can jump off a wall and use it as a springboard to jump up even higher. Mice can also run straight up a wall and scamper across small electrical wires easily.
DIET
Mice may be smaller than a tennis ball, but the damage they can cause is insurmountable. Mice can cause over $2 billion in damage worldwide every year. They can contaminate food and water and weaken structures with their gnawing.
Mice have very bad eyesight so their other senses are very strong. Mice are also very nimble; they can fit through small holes that are only ¼ inch wide. An unknown attribute about mice is their ability to jump. Mice can jump over a foot in height, and mice can jump off a wall and use it as a springboard to jump up even higher. Mice can also run straight up a wall and scamper across small electrical wires easily.
DIET
Mice like to eat grains like cereal. They are herbivores, meaning they do not eat meat. They are very good scavengers and will eat any scraps that are left on the ground. With their expert gnawing skills, they can easily gnaw their way through a cardboard box containing foods.
REPRODUCTION
Mice breed year round in the house, producing around 50 young ones every year. They produce around 6 young per litter, and between 8-10 litters every year. Newborn mice are hairless, pink and their eyes are usually closed. By the time mice are three weeks old they are covered in fur and making trips away from the nest by themselves. They can reach sexual maturity 4-5 weeks old.
A family of 5 mice in your home has the ability to reproduce to 25 within a couple of months and it can increase exponentially from there if it's not controlled properly and rapidly.
The three best ways to control mice is prevention, prevention, and some more prevention. If you don't allow your home to be suitable for mice, they will not come in. Here are some easy steps you can take to prevent rodents.
- Seal all cracks and holes inside and outside of your home
- Block or fill the opening around water pipes or wires
- Use screens in air vents and other holes that may be too large to fill
- Make sure that the door’s bottom edge is flush to the floor
- Keep the food out to a minimum
- Keep pet food sealed in plastic containers
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