Distribution:
House mice spread across North America and now are found in every state
including coastal areas of Alaska, and in the southern parts of Canada.
Status in Nebraska: House mice are found in and around
homes and farms as well as in open fields and agricultural lands throughout
Nebraska.
Origin:
Native to Central Asia.
Introduction to U.S.:
Arrived in North America on ships with settlers from Europe and other
point of origin.
Characteristics:
Gray, black or brown with relatively large ears and small eyes. An
adult is about 5 1/2 to 7 1/2 inches long, including the 3 to 4 inch tail
and weighs ½ to 1 ounce with a slender body.
Mice usually feed on cereal grains but will eat many other kinds of
food. They eat frequently in small quantities.
Mice have keen senses of taste, hearing, smell and touch. They are
excellent climbers and can run up any rough vertical surface. They will
run horizontally along wire cables or ropes and can jump up 13 inches from
the floor onto a flat surface. They can slip through a crack that a pencil
will fit into (slightly larger than 1/4 inch in diameter).
Reproduction:
In a single year, a female may have five to 10 litters of usually five
or six young each. The life span of a mouse is about 9 to12 months.
Impacts:
Mice consume food meant for humans or pets and contaminate food-preparation
surfaces with their feces which can contain bacteria that causes the food
poisoning salmonellosis. Constant gnawing causes damage to structures and
property.
Control Methods:
There is a need for good sanitation in residential areas, including
proper storage and handling of food materials and refuse. Rodent
proof construction, rodenticides, electronic devices, predators and trapping
are other means of control.
