| |
|
Deer Mouse |
|
Grouping |
Seedivore |
|
Nicknames |
Field
mouse, yard mouse, attic mouse. |
| Best
Known For |
Keeping people up at night due to scratching on walls and
ceilings. Stockpiling seeds and nesting materials under outside
structures, woodpiles, covered objects, lawnmowers, and in
sheds. Invading homes through holes and gaps as small as 318".
Awful odor related to dead mice in walls. |
| Life
Span |
Six
months to a year and a half. |
| Mating
Season |
Spring
through summer with a gestation period of 20 days.
|
| Litter
Size |
3 to 8
per litter. |
|
Litters Per Year |
2 to
5. Early litters become sexually mature the same year of birth. |
|
Dispersal |
Localized dispersal. |
|
Habitat |
Open
fields, out buildings, attics, basements, underneath outside
debris, abandoned equipment, lawnmowers, etc. |
|
Activity Cycle |
Typically, nocturnal and active year round with localized
dispersal. |
| Food |
Cherry
seeds, sunflower seeds, sorghum, maple seeds, acorns, grass seeds,
agricultural crops, grains, house-hold grain based products,
birdseed. Horde away large quantities.
|
| Damage
Signs |
Chewing at areas of entry; nesting material gathered from
upholstery, seat cushions, insulation; urine staining
-particularly on ceiling tiles; chewed wiring; soiled insulation;
fecal matter on flat surfaces. |
|
Treatment |
Trapping and sealing the home to stop entry. Poison baits under
very limited conditions. |
|
Diseases |
Hantavirus, usually contracted when cleaning up mouse fecal
matter, urine, and saliva causing the virus to be airborne and
breathed in. The "Plague" (fleas associated with rodents spread
the plague.) |
|
Distinguishing Features |
Deer
mice, which are native to Pennsylvania unlike the gray house
mouse, which arrived with our forefathers, are deer skin brown
with a white belly, slightly furry tail, and very large ears and
eyes. 2 to 3 inches in length excluding the tail. |
Also see for detail information on these
animals:
Meadow
Vole | Short Tail Shrew |
Eastern & Star Nose Mole
|
|
|
S and S Wildlife Control, Inc. has
the following Licenses and Wildlife Control Certifications Licensed by the Pa. Game Commission
Licensed by Maryland DNR
Nationally Certified Wildlife Control Professionals N.W.C.O.A. |
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