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Where Do House Mice Hide & How to Get Rid of Rodents in the Walls of Your Austin, TX Home

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When you find a rodent in your house, it’s totally normal for one to jump and scream. Nobody wants to come to the realization that a mouse has somehow made its way in. Around this time of year is when we see an influx of rodent activity across Austin. There are several different rodent species found here in the Austin area, one of which is the house mouse. Their scientific name for the house mouse is Mus Musculus and they belong to the family Muridae. While most of their species are wild, the house mouse gets their name because of their preference to stay close to humans. Our homes are sanctuaries to rodents everywhere because we offer shelter from the weather, food to eat and water to drink. Have you had your home rodent proofed for the season? If not, there is no better time than now to call A-Tex Pest Management to have your home mouse-proofed! Many people don’t want to get close enough to a rodent to positively identify them, this is understandable. House mice are commonly mistaken for the Deer Mouse which is a known carrier of the Hantavirus. An experienced pest control professional can help you to identify what type of rodent you have on your hands if you are unsure. Following are a few ways you can identify a common house mouse.

House Mouse Identification

House mice in the wild come in various shades of light to dark brown and some have a lighter colored belly. They have long thin tails that are nearly bald and small rounded ears that are also nearly hairless. They have a pointed nose and small beady eyes. An adult house mouse measures from 3-3.9 in body length from the tip of their noses to their bums and their tails are 2-3.9 inches in length!

Where Do Mice Hide in a House & What Damage Can They Do?

House mice may be small, but they have the amazing ability to jump up to 18 inches high. Their small bodies give them the ability to enter a structure through a hole no bigger than a dime. House mice are talented swimmers and climbers as well. They will scale trees or walls to gain access to a roof or attic with ease. Once inside, mice will tunnel through insulation, chew through electrical wires, damage vital components such as ductwork and HVAC systems, contaminate food and tear through stored items and personal belongings. Mice have a never-ending need to chew because their front incisors never stop growing and they need to keep them filed down in order to eat and survive. The destruction they cause can be costly as there is usually never just one mouse in a structure. Mice are social beings and almost always have a mate and young. Just one mouse can create 5-10 litters every year with each litter consisting of 3-14 young at a time! This means, that given the opportunity, you could have an infestation of mice in a very short amount of time.

House Mouse Prevention

A-Tex Pest Management can assist you in controlling a rodent population in or around your home. If they never get in, to begin with, then you won’t have much to worry about. Start by sealing up any holes around your home in which a mouse may gain entry. Any opening the size of a dime or bigger should be sealed. Keep stored food in airtight containers, keep trashcan lids on tight and keep the shrubs/trees/plant life around your home trimmed back and away from your home to eliminate hiding spaces and access points to your home.

Rodent Pest Inspections, Control, Removal & More in Austin, Round Rock, Leander, Pflugerville & Cedar Park, Texas

If you believe you have seen a mouse in your home, A-Tex Pest Management offers various trapping techniques that have proven effective. Act quickly at the first sign of rodent and don’t delay. Call us if you have further questions about house mice or other problem rodents, or if you would like to schedule a pest inspection today!