It’s fall, and you’re relaxing in your home with a cup of cocoa when a sudden flash of movement dashes across the floor and scares the wits out of you. You’ve got a mouse in the house! Learn how to tell if you’re dealing with a field or house mouse before taking steps to remove and prevent future infestations.
Field Mouse vs. House Mouse
Telling the difference between a field mouse and a house mouse can be tricky, but they can have very different behaviors and characteristics.
Field mice grow to be over 4 inches in length with a tail almost as long as their body. They tend to have beige, reddish, or dark brown fur with white bellies. They also have small eyes and ears. They’re fantastic jumpers with powerful hind legs.
House mice are the most common rodent in the world. They grow to be just shy of 4 inches with a tail as long as their body. Their coats are greyish brown. They have small legs, big ears, and large eyes.
Habits and Environment
Field mice are omnivorous and have a diverse diet that can include earthworms, nuts, sprouting plants, berries, mushrooms, and much more. They reproduce at lightning speed and can produce up to 4 litters every year. They’re active at night and usually invade homes to survive the winter.
House mice also have an omnivorous diet but prefer grains and seeds. They will, however, take whatever they can get, including meat. They produce 7 to 8 litters of babies in their entire life, each composed of up to 16 babies. They live up to 2 or 3 years instead of the field mouse’s average 1-year lifespan.
Both species are active at night.
Why They Are Dangerous
Regardless of whether you have field or house mice in your home, both are equally dangerous. As cute as they appear, they carry pathogens and diseases. While the mice themselves might not be diseased, the fleas on their body very much are. They can contaminate the food that they infest.
Diseases that mice bring into your house can be treated; however, these rodents can also damage your home. They gnaw through baseboards and build nests in your walls. They chew through insulation and wires, and can even cause fires that can burn down your house.
How to Prevent Entry
Follow these simple tips to ensure your property is protected from entry. Otherwise, check out our simple guide to trap mice that have already infiltrated your home.
- Seal up any cracks or holes in your foundation.
- Repair and replace screens that are damaged.
- Keep your trash cans and dumpsters sealed up.
- Keep your house as clean and tidy as you can.
- Don’t leave dirty dishes in the sink
- Take your trash out regularly
Contact Dr. Death Pest Control to eradicate and prevent mice from destroying your home today!