The house mouse can be identified as short, small feet and a tail long as the head and body combined. Although usually dark grey in colour, some house mice have light brown backs and their bellies are light brown.
Mice usually enter homes in the fall and winter looking for food and shelter. They enter buildings through holes or gaps in doors, walls and foundations. A mouse can squeeze through a crack as small as 10 mm.
The presence of droppings near food, under stoves, refrigerators, under sinks and finding holes in boxes and bags containing food or garbage are indications of mouse activity. Mice also cause damage by nibbling on insulation and building material, furniture, paper, clothing and books.
Effective prevention and control of mouse damage involves three aspects: rodent-proofing construction, sanitation and population reduction.
Mouse damage can be reduced by removing or limiting access to nesting areas, food sources and, escape and nesting areas. Indoors, remove padded cushions from sofas and chairs, and store them on edge or separate from one another, off the floor. Remove drawers in empty cupboards or chests and re-insert them upside down.
When traps are not successful in capturing mice, then poison bait (rodenticide) should be used as part of the control program. Most ready-to-use commercial baits contain anticoagulant rodenticides. They cause death as a result of internal bleeding, which occurs when the capillaries are destroyed. Hemorrhage can occur in any part of the body.
All poison baits should be placed where only mice can get them. Keep them out of reach of pets and children. Label directions on all rodenticides should be followed carefully.
Good housekeeping and good sanitation practices such as proper storage and handling of food material, feed and garbage will aid in control by permitting easier detection and increased effectiveness of traps and baits.
Mice are very adaptive to living with people. They require very little space and only small amounts of food. Mice have been known to inhabit buildings even before construction has been completed, living off the crumbs and scraps of workers’ lunches. In offices, house mice may live behind cabinets or furniture and feed on scraps or crumbs from lunches or snacks, candies, or even sugar granules found on desktops.In homes, mice may find ample food in kitchens, garbage cans, garages and even the pet dish.
To control mice infestations, the best approach is an integrated management program. This involves using physical and chemical means of control. Mice-proofing involves sealing openings around pipes, doors, windows and holes in walls, foundations or other points of entry.
Trapping is preferred when the use of rodenticides is unsafe. Several types of mechanical devices can be used to catch mice, and one of the most effective methods is the use of ready-to-use glue boards. When mice try to cross the boards, their feet become stuck and they are unable to free themselves.
Glue boards and snap traps should be placed across mouse runways or corners, and must be checked frequently.