Information about house mice
House mice can live and breed in houses, buildings and other structures such as garden sheds, which give them protection from the cold and wet weather and which provides them with the three essentials for survival, food, water and shelter.
Their ideal environments are buildings with dead spaces and areas free from disturbance and close to food and water. They're extremely good climbers, climbing walls, pipes, cavities and ductings. They have very hard incisor teeth which can penetrate materials such as concrete, lead and aluminium. This can result in expensive damage and even fires when electric cables are damaged.
House mice like to know the area where they live and use the same familiar pathways. This produces smear marks by the continual rubbing of their fur against surfaces.
In urban areas, house mice are able to breed throughout the year, producing between five and ten litters each of about four-eight young. They can live for more than two years, though the average life span is about ten months.
They will feed on almost anything, but generally prefer cereal-based foods.
To prevent an infestation:
- Don't leave open food out in the kitchen overnight
- Don't leave uneaten meals intended for a pet cat or a dog in dishes out overnight
- Remove all food and waste spillages as they occur
- Empty kitchen food waste bins frequently
- Store food in rodent-proof containers
- Ensure that refuse isn't allowed to accumulate in the yard or garden
- Seal structural defects in the house to prevent mice gaining access to your home
If signs of infestation are noticed, for example, fresh mouse droppings, gnaw or smear marks, take immediate action to control the infestation.
Treatment can be carried out professionally by our pest control service.
Our service
The standard treatment costs can be found on our domestic fees page.
This covers:
- Initial visit and assessment
- Advice on possible infestation cause and measures to deal with it
- A pest control treatment using poison baits, traps or other techniques will be used to eradicate and monitor mouse activity if an infestation is found or suspected
- Two further follow-up visits to continue treatment, including monitoring activity, replacing poison and removing any bodies found
- Any subsequent treatment visits will be agreed with the customer
If no treatment is carried out, you'll only pay a call-out and survey fee.
