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Deer Mice
Deer Mice
Facts, Identification, & Control
Latin Name:
Peromyscus maniculatus
Appearance
What Do They Look Like?
- Size: They are round and slender, ranging from 7 to 10 cm long in body length.
- Head: Deer mice have a pointed nose and large, black beady eyes. Their ears are large with little fur covering them.
- Color: Their bodies are bicolored with a light brownish-reddish top and white underbelly and feet.
- Tail: These pests have short tails, distinctly bicolored (dark on top and light on bottom), and covered with short, fine hairs and can be 5 to 13 cm in length.
How Did I Get Deer Mice?
Deer mice are attracted to homes with plenty of vegetation and protective sites with piles of rocks or firewood in the yard. These pests may sneak into cabins and barns as well as homes in residential suburban and rural areas when cold weather hits.
These mice are small and move indoors through tiny openings near the ground. They may also climb to upper floors using vines and tree branches to sneak into attics.
How Serious Are Deer Mice?
Deer mice have several problematic habits inside homes. They build messy nests inside stored furniture or mattresses and cache food indoors. These stored nuts and fruits may attract insects and other pests into the home.
Diseases
Deer mice may appear harmless, but they are known carriers of dangerous diseases that may spread through mouse parasites or contaminated food. Deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) should not be confused with one of the important reservoirs of Lyme disease, the white-footed deer mouse (Peromyscus leucopus).
Hantavirus
These rodents are one of the main carriers of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, an illness transmitted through their waste. People who try to clean up their droppings or who simply live in an infested building may inhale this airborne virus.
Signs of Infestation
Signs of a deer mice infestation includes:
- Droppings
- Gnawed objects
- Mice sightings
- Nests
