What are Mice?
Mice are a small species of rodent. There are hundreds of species of mice found living all across North America, but one of the most common and easily recognized species is the house mouse. The house mouse, like all rodents, have sharp, continuously growing front incisors; mice constantly need to chew on hard objects in order to prevent their teeth from overgrowing.
The house mouse grows to between 5 ½ and 7 inches in length including the length of their tail. Their large, rounded ears and scaly tail are both covered in a thin layer of velvet-like fur. House mice have a pointed nose and their fur ranges in color from grayish-brown to almost black; they have a lighter colored belly that is usually tan or off-white.
Why do I have them?
Mice are attracted to properties that offer them easy access to food, water, and shelter. Bird feeders, unsecured garbage cans, woodpiles, gardens, and compost piles can all attract mice to your property. While mice can enter homes, garages, sheds, and other buildings any time of the year, they are especially problematic in the late fall when they are trying to secure a place to overwinter.
Mice can enter buildings by squeezing their bodies through very small spaces; once inside, they are typically found hiding in places that are close to food sources including behind walls, in crawl spaces, behind large appliances, in attics, and in the back corners of cabinets.