Mice Description and Identification
House mice are small, thin rodents that have a distinctive tail with obvious scale rings. Famous for their ability to cause a great deal of trouble and damage in resident and commercial structures, mice are considered to be one of the most economically significant rodents in the country.
Thought to be the most common mammal resident in urban areas aside from humans, mice can be found in every America state, including the outskirts of Alaska and in southern parts of Canada.
Highly adaptable creatures, house mice live nearly anywhere they can find shelter and food, including inside and around homes, farms, commercial establishments, on agricultural lands and in open fields. Although there are incidences where mice live fare from human populations, colder weather often causes mice to find their way into structures looking for shelter and food.
Diet and Feeding Tendencies
Mostly considered nibblers, house mice will eat all types of food, but prefer seeds and grain. In generally they aren't picky and frequently try new foods, sampling nearly anything in a new environment.
Unlike most rats, house mice have the ability to live on very little or no water, however they will readily drink water where ever it is within reach. In large part, mice get water from the food they consume. Because of this, it is possible that an absence of water or food that contains enough moisture within their environment will reduce their breeding potential.
Damage Possibilities
It isn't farfetched to say that where there are mice, there will be damage. When house mice nest or take up residence in or around structures they nearly always cause damage that results in economic loss of some kind. Not only do they tend to seek out and eat food storage and pet food, they also contaminate what they do not eat with their urine, droppings and hair.
In addition to actually eating food they find, mice also will destroy the containers food is stored in, and even the equipment that transports feed to farm animals. Although a single mouse actually consumes very little (only about eight pounds in an entire year), that one mouse has the potential to destroy much more because of their habit of nibbling and discarding partially eaten foods.
Structural damage from mice comes when they begin gnawing and building nests inside a given structure. Often mice will cause significant damage to insulation inside walls and in attics, and are known to make homes inside large electrical appliances where they not only chew insulation by wiring as well. Habitual chewing of wiring in and around appliances can result in short circuits, fire hazards, and expensive repair.
In addition to the damage to homes and commercial buildings that can be directly caused by mice, there are several documented diseases and parasites that can be transmitted to humans as well. Among those are salmonella (food poisoning) and ringworm. Mice are also significant for transmission of disease among animals, particularly pigs.
When mice become a pest control problem on your property, they can be difficult to remove, and discourage from returning. In cases like these, professionals in your area with a well established set of techniques for removal can help you to control the animal's population and assure that they won't come back.
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