House Mice Identification Guide

What is a house mouse?

The house mouse is a small rodent. As their name suggests, they are a familiar intruder into homes, businesses, and other structures. 

From the end of their nose to the tip of their tail, house mice grow to between five and a half and seven inches long. Gray, brown, or black fur covers their oval-shaped body, and their belly is typically a lighter colored fur. 

Like every other rodent in the order Rodentia, house mice have continuously growing front incisors. A house mouse is also identified by its triangular-shaped head, pointed nose, large ears, and long skinny tail.

Are house mice dangerous?

House mice are an economically important pest because of the large amount of damage they cause to homes, businesses, and crop fields. They consume and contaminate our food, damage crops, and transmit diseases and parasites. Hantavirus, leptospirosis, and salmonella are all spread by house mice and can make people quite ill. They also carry a variety of parasites like fleas and ticks that also spread diseases. 

To prevent their front incisors from overgrowing, mice chew on almost any object they come across. Their vigorous chewing habits cause damage in our yards by feeding on and damaging garden plants. Inside our homes, they chew on wires, pipes, drywall, insulation, and more. House mice will also damage personal items; these furry creatures chew on boxes, clothing, books, and furniture.

Why do I have a house mouse problem?

House mice searching for food, water, or shelter will take advantage of openings they discover in the exterior of our Cypress area homes and other buildings. Holes in the foundation, gaps around window and door trim, vents, and drains are all entry points. They are also adept climbers and often move inside along roof eaves and chimneys. 

Food tends to be a big attractant to house mice. Things like open trash cans, pet food, gardens, compost, fruit trees, grills, and outdoor eating areas offer the pungent smells that bring house mice to our yards.

Where will I find house mice?

House mice like to live where there are people because we provide them with food and shelter. Whether your home is in an urban setting or right in the middle of the country, you could find yourself sharing your property with mice. Mice do not hibernate and may become a problem in your yard or home at any time of year!

Outside, house mice nest in areas of dense vegetation, tall grass, tree stumps, woodpiles, construction debris, and things like unused play structures or playhouses. Our homes also provide house mice with plenty of places to hide their spherical nests. Attics, basements, storage boxes, cabinets, areas under sinks, closets, and other dark, quiet areas act as indoor nesting sites for rodents.

How do I get rid of house mice?

Get rid of house mice from your Greater Cypress area property with the help of TNT Home & Commercial Pest Services. We have over 20 years of experience in the pest control industry, provide exceptional services, and are a one-stop-shop for all your pest control needs. 

Our focus is customer satisfaction and ensuring our customer’s safety. We will work closely with you to eliminate dangerous and damaging house mice from your Cypress property. If you would like to learn more about our rodent control solutions, reach out to TNT Home & Commercial Services today.

How can I prevent house mice in the future?

More than an inconvenience, pests can be dangerous and cause a lot of damage. In addition to our professional home pest control and commercial pest control services, use the following tips to keep house mice out of your yard and home:

• Inspect boxes, furniture, and other items that have been outside for house mice before bringing them into your home.
• Remove things like woodpiles, trash cans, overgrown shrubbery, and other debris away from your house where house mice can hide.
• Rake back leaves, weeds, and other vegetation away from your foundation.
• Keep lids on trash cans and recycling bins, and empty containers each week.
• Remove other food sources like leftover pet food, leftover food from outdoor eating areas, and by maintaining gardens.
• Don’t let house mice find an easy way into your house. Regularly inspect your home’s exterior and use caulk, steel wool, and other rigid materials to seal holes and spaces in the foundation, exterior walls, roofline, and around utilities.