Rodent Control

Deer Mouse

Habitat of the Deer Mouse:

These mice live in a wide variety of different habitats. Each species has its own preferred ecosystems and specific needs. Some of the various types of habitats that they live in include woodlands, meadows, forests, grasslands, deserts, scrubland, and more.

Distribution of the Deer Mouse:

Deer mice live across various regions of North America and their range extends into Central America. Each species has its own unique range. Some live in just a tiny region or on a single island. Other species occupy much larger ranges.

Diet of the Deer Mouse:

The diet of these rodents varies based on the species and the region that they live in. Some species are primarily herbivorous, but most are omnivores. This means that they eat both plants and small animals. The omnivorous species typically feed on insects and other invertebrates.

Some of the most common food sources for these mice are seeds, berries, grains, grasses, nuts, flowers, and more. They also eat grasshoppers, beetles, crickets, and more.

Deer Mouse and Human Interaction:

Humans interact with most species quite frequently. Many live in close proximity to farms, suburbs, or parks. Humans view some species as agricultural pests, and some species spread disease.

Though many species have prolific numbers, human activity severely threatens some. The most common threats are habitat destruction and invasive species.

Does the Deer Mouse Make a Good Pet:

Generally, deer mice do not make good pets. Some species transmit diseases, and all are wild animals. Instead, choose a captive-bred pet mouse species.

Behavior of the Deer Mouse:

The various species have different specific behavior patterns. Many species burrow underground or utilize the burrows of other animals. Most species forage primarily at night or during the early morning and late afternoon.

Social behavior also varies. Some species live solitary lives while others live in family groups or small colonies. Those who are solitary usually defend their territories fiercely, but a few social species also defend family territories.

Reproduction of the Deer Mouse:

Each species has its own breeding season and reproductive habits. Some species mate with the same partner for life while others breed with multiple mates. Across species, gestation period generally lasts about a month.

The litter size also varies by species. Some have small litters of 2 or 3 young, while others have 10 or more offspring in a single litter. In most species, the females wean their young at about a month old.

House Mouse

Physical Abilities:

1) Mice fit through tiny cracks and holes: An adolescent mouse can fit its body through a hole that is the size of a pen about 0.5 cm (1/4 inch). An adult mouse can fit through a hole the size of a dime, about 1.5 cm (3/4 inch).  Once their head can squeeze through an opening the rest of their skeleton and body is flexible enough that it will follow.

2) Mice jump very high: Depending on the type of mouse, they can jump up to 45 cm (18 inches) high.  I have read that some varieties can greatly exceed that!

3) Mice climb very well: Mice can climb almost any vertical wall, brick, stucco, wood, siding, sheet rock, insulation.  The only surface that they can not climb is something that is very smooth, such as glass, smooth plastic or smooth painted surface.

4) Mice run FAST: Mice can run up to 13 kph (8 mph), scaling it up to human size, a human would have to run 260 kph (160 mph).

5) Mice swim: Mice are very good swimmers and are not afraid of water.  They can survive in water and can hold their breath under water for 3 minutes.

6) Mice chew and gnaw: Mice will chew on pretty much any fibrous material to make nests.  They will also chew on plastic, wood, wire insulation and anything else to wear their teeth down.  All rodents have constantly growing front teeth and it is part of their instinct is to ware them down, on anything chewable.

Here is a video of how nimble rodents can be:

This video is by Matthias Wandel, check out his website at http://woodgears.ca/ , he makes absolutely amazing stuff out of wood!

Social Behavior:

7) Mice live in groups:  Mice are social animals and like to live in groups.  If you find one, there is very high probability that there are more, many more.

8) Mice reproduce quickly: On average mice, females and males are ready to reproduce at 50 days.  However some females can start ovulating as early as 25 days. The average gestation period is 20 days.  The litter size is on average 10 – 12 pops. Pups are weaned at 3 weeks of age.  Mice try to avoid inbreeding but it does occur when there is less variety in mice from different colonies.

9) Mice can carry disease: There are number of diseases that mice can carry, some of which can be deadly to humans, are Hantavirus, Lyme disease, Ehrlichiosis, Toxoplasmosis and Babesiosis. In addition here is a document from the Department of Health and Human Services with facts about hantaviruses and how to cleanup feces, nests etc., after rodents , and another one from Govt. of Canada Mouse and Rat pest control.

10) Mice are territorial: One dominant male usually lives with several females and litter. They mark their territory with urine and usually do not cross boundaries defined by their families.

11) Mice use of space:  Mice do not like open areas as that exposes them to predators.  Mice like to travel near walls, or other sheltered areas.  Mice make nests in small enclosed areas and they gnaw on paper, cardboard and other materials to create a nest lining.  In addition mice also use other stringy and fibrous materials, that they can find, to make their nests.  Mice also use sense of smell to reduce inbreeding, inbred male mice have a less attractive smell to other females.

12) Mice day night cycle: Mice are naturally nocturnal so they usually sleep during the day and become active at night.  Mice can however adjust their sleeping and activity to times when their environment is quiet and safe.  Wild mice activity peaks around the hours of dusk and dawn, this is the time that they are the hardest to spot.  A house mouse will adjust and be most active at night when the house is quiet.  This is also the time when you will be able to hear them the most, scratching, gnawing, little feet patting as they run.

Senses:

13) Mice vision: Mice overall eyesight is poor, compared to humans as described in this science paper about mice and light.  Mice eye structure is similar to human but have greater density of ultraviolet sensitive cones and less color cones.  They do see color but not as well as people, however they can see better in the short ultraviolet wavelengths and they do rely on their eyesight heavily.

14) Mice hearing:  Mice hearing has a much greater frequency range than human and the sensitivity to frequency also is different.  Mice can hear frequency range from 1 Hz to 100 kHz, while human hearing range is between 20 Hz and 20 kHz. Mice most sensitive range is around the 16 kHz range and for humans 1 to 4 kHz.  While human and mice hearing frequency range overlap, mice can hear and communicate at frequency ranges outside of human hearing.  You can find more detail in this study about hearing in humans and mice.

15) Mice sense of smell:  Mice have an excellent sense of smell and use it to find their way around, stay clear of danger and to find food.  Mice use urine to mark their territory and trails that they follow.  This article describes how well mice can smell humans.  Mice also use sent to identify other mice and mice from other colonies.

16) Mice sense of touch:  Mice have poor eyesight and depend heavily on their sense of touch.  Mice use their whiskers, vibrissae, to feel around their nests, walls and paths and also to meet and great other mice.  They use their whiskers for first contact, sort of like a handshake, to determine if the other mice is not aggressive.

17) Mice sense of taste: Mice have the regular five basic tastes, bitter, sweet, sour, salty, and umami.  Now scientists discover that their tongue might have a sixth sense of taste for water…

What is even more bizarre is that male mice have taste receptors on their testicles !

Food:

18) Mice are omnivores: Mice are not fussy eaters and will eat almost any food available.  They do have a preference for grains, fruit, veggies, seeds and high carbohydrate foods.  If you have a pantry make sure to store all food in bins that is difficult to get in and chew or gnaw through.

19) Mice drink:  Mice do not need to drink much, most of their liquid intake comes from food consumption.

20) Lab mice nutrient requirements:  You can find out nutritional requirements for mice that are used in labs here: Mice Nutrient Requirements.  This will show you that mice diet is very diverse.

Tracks:

21) Mice tracks: Mice tracks are hard to spot unless they step into something soft like snow, paint, or powder.  Mice are very light animals so in regular soil they don’t leave tracks, unless the soil is very sandy and light or muddy, but then even wind can blow them off.  Here is a link to some see some mouse tracks in the wild.

22) Mice paths:  Mice like to travel along the same tried and tested paths that are scent marked.  In longer grass this leaves distinct trails that look like this:

mice use scent trails and follow the same paths to travel

 Lifespan:

23) Mice lifespan in the wild: Mice live about 12 months in the wild, this is why their reproductive cycle is so quick.  The lifespan is short due to predators, harsh environment, disease and malnutrition, all those factors take a toll on their lifespan.

24) Mice lifespan indoors: Indoors mice can live 2 to 3 years if they are healthy, have a safe environment and a good supply of food.  This is why mice populations can grow so quickly!

Norway Rat

Appearance:

Norway rats are large specie of rodents which weigh up 500 grams. They measure about 40 cm with their tail taking almost 21 cm of the entire length. Their fur is brown or gray in color and it covers the entire body. It has scales on the tail and ear. The head and the body are longer than the tail. Its dropping assumes the shape of a capsule.

Behavior, Diet & Habits:

Most Norway rats burrow into the ground and build their nest in places where they can gain easy access into a building to forage for food. They tend to be more active at night than in the day.

Norway rats feed on different kinds of food since they are omnivorous. They can feed on nuts, grains, meat and fruits. These rats can as well feed on dead animals, fishes or other smaller rodents. They create their colony close to a water source as they require water for survival. Norway rats are not as social as ants and they live in communities with dominant and subordinate members.

Reproduction:

It takes two to five months for a Norway rat to become sexually mature and they can reproduce at any time. Each litter ranges from 4-22 offspring. A female can bear as much as 12 litters in a year. The adults can survive for a year in the wild.

Signs of a Norway Rat Infestation:

It is quite rear to see a Norway rat unless it lost it habitation for certain reasons. They are mostly seen in the day in areas highly infested by them. Sighting burrows around a house indicates the presence of these rats. Other signs which indicate the presence of these rats are gnaw marks on hard objects or food materials. Their presence can as well be made known by the grease stain made by them on the edge of a wall. However their dropping which measures 18 to 20 cm in length could possibly be the most significant sign.

How to Prevent Norway Rats:

Food, water and shelter are the three primary factors that attract Norway rats into homes. Therefore to prevent their stay in your home you need get rid of whatever encourages them to stay.

To reduce food sources, the garbage can must be emptied as regular as possible and a secure lid should be placed over it. Other sources of food must be secured also. The home should always be kept neat which means even seeds or dropping should be swept clean always as these rats might end up feeding on feces.

To reduce water sources, broken pipes should be fixed, take off out door water containers and ensure sprinklers and spigots are tightened. Rodents can dwell in bushy environment or piles of wood. Unnecessary wood piles should be discarded and the lawns well-trimmed.

Homeowners should also seal up their homes. Windows and doors should be shut at night as the rodents tend to be active at night. An opening as small as ½ inch is big enough to let rat through therefore even the smallest opening should be sealed up. Sealing up these holes and getting rid of their attractants would prevent their stay in your home.

More Information:

Norway rats are more common in North America and they are sometimes referred to as Norway wood rats or Norwegian water rats. They crossed into the borders of America by sea and became prevalent in the Midwest through Great Britain circa in 1775. They traveled as far as Ontario, Canada in the 1800s.

However, in this present day they can now be found in so many places. Norway rats were believed to have dwelt in temperate forest regions but they have become adapted to living among humans.  They mostly burrow into soil surround buildings or trees when living outside however whenever they gain access into a building they would be seen in sewers, attics, basements and crawlspaces.

Identifying Norway Rats:

The brown fur color and large size of the Norway rat makes them easy to identify. The weight of the adults ranges between 200-500 grams. They are 40 cm long measuring from the nose to the tail. The brownish color of the fur becomes a bit lighter towards the belly. The ears and tails are scaly while eyes and ears are small in size.

Norway rats are nocturnal animals therefore sighting them in the day would be difficult. Nonetheless, their droppings can always be seen around the house. Their droppings are blunt and capsular in shape and they are as long as 18 to 20 mm.

Their nest can be as well seen in infested areas. They make use of papers, clothes or other materials to make their nest. Norway rats makes burrow with different exit hole allowing them access food such as bird feeders at any time from whatever location.

Norway rat infestation might be identified by gnaw marks on pet food containers or holes. This mark could also be seen on wooden walls, doors or on other hard objects. Their footsteps might be imprinted on greasy floors and walls.