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Mice - Pest Control

Mice - Pest Control

Problem

It is not generally appreciated that the common house mouse causes almost as much damage and constitutes as great a health hazard as the rat. A world-wide pest of buildings, it is distinguished from rats by smaller size and from young rats by the larger ears of the mouse, much longer tail and smaller head and feet relative to the body.

The house mouse is grey above, light grey below, normally lives indoors, preferring dry nesting locations. It usually lives at ground level but can climb. Movement in search of food is very limited, nests often occurring within the food stuff itself and frequently made from shredded paper. Cereals are the preferred food.

Mice have the potential to damage and contaminate stored food on a fairly large scale. This contamination is difficult to remove and can result in the rejection of food for human consumption. Mice often destroy much more food than they consume because of their wasteful habit of discarding partially eaten food.

Mice may cause structural damage by gnawing almost anything, although damage caused by mice is much less severe than that found in an infestation of rats.

Life Cycle

Mice are much more prolific than rats with a gestation period of about three weeks. The size of litters varies from 6 to 16 and the number of litters average 7 to 8. The period from birth to sexual maturity is 8 to 10 weeks and a mouse normally lives for 6 to 12 months.

The maximum reproductive potential of a pair and their young is about 2,000 in a year.

Control Measures

Mice tend not to move far during their lifetime. They can however squeeze through any crack into which a human finger can be inserted. During the Autumn and early Winter, a seasonal migration of field mice can occur from their Summer quarters to the more comfortable surroundings in houses or stores, where adequate warmth and protection from the elements are provided.

It is best to seek professional help in eradicating an infestation of mice as advice will be given on entry points and proofing measures necessary to prevent further entry of the mice.

The Pest Control Officer is equipped with a range of poison baits and traps which provide a variety of treatments suitable for every location.

The most important aspect of control is prevention. It is good practice to keep all properties in good condition and repair all holes or other likely points of entry. Mice tend to live where there is a readily available food supply so it is important to ensure that food is stored properly and that there is good housekeeping within the premises to discourage any infestation and to make the presence of vermin more readily detectable and controllable. Advice on mouse proofing is available on the same basis as treatment.

Treatment

Treatment will involve assessing the extent of the problem, laying baits or traps as necessary, checking the uptake of bait regularly and removing material at the end of the treatment.

Please note:

• The use of rodenticide is carefully controlled by the Control of Pesticides Regulations 1986.
• The Pest Control Officer is fully trained and all necessary measures are taken to comply with the Health and Safety at Work Etc., Act 1974 and Regulations thereunder.
• Instructions will be given at the time of application in relation to the safety of the householder and pets.
• In some cases more than one application is necessary to ensure control.

It should be noted on some occasions after treatment a smell may be noticeable from the decomposition of the dead mice. Where possible bodies will be removed. If this is not possible the Pest Control Officer may be able to provide material to deodorise the premises for the short space of time, normally up to a week, when the smell is at its worst. Decomposition of the body is only a temporary matter and the smell soon disappears.