House Mice (Mus Domesticus)
Mice transmit diseases such as Salmonella and also a type of Leptospirosis, they can contaminate food, food prep areas, etc.
In buildings mice are more of a problem because they live indoors and are a real pest in shops, food premises, warehouses, hospitals, etc.
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Being so small, mice are very easily transported, unnoticed, in boxes, pallets food packaging, laundry, etc, entering a new location through gaps as tiny as 6mm.
Mice build nests which are difficult to find, infesting an area with new colonies rapidly and with devastating effect.
Because mice can reach sexual maturity in just 7 weeks, the population grows much faster than rats, which take about twice as long to reach maturity.
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LIFECYCLE: 9 – 12 months and reach sexual maturity at 7 weeks, they can have up to 8 litters per year, each litter being 5 – 6 strong.
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LENGTH: usually between 70mm – 90mm long (adult)
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WEIGHT: between 15g – 25g (adult)
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APPEARANCE: Light – dark fur, greyish brown in colour.
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DROPPINGS: 3mm – 6mm long, rod shaped.
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Mice are omnivores, but prefer cereals, nibbling from multiple food stuffs and will consume 3 – 5g per day and unlike rats, mice can survive without a water source, obtaining sufficient water from the food eaten.
Mice are excellent climbers with an erratic and inquisitive nature, they will feed from multiple food sources where available, they generally nest in stored materials and have a greasy coat which leaves a dirty smear mark around ingress holes and gaps, as mice are incontinent they will constantly be urinating and producing droppings so the sight and smell may be apparent.