House Mouse

Where it lives

Wall cavities, under kitchen units, behind appliances, in stud walls, storage rooms, suspended ceilings and cars. Needs very little food and can survive on crumbs alone.

Signs

• Small dark droppings 3–6 mm long, scattered rather than in piles
• Gnawed food packaging, especially cereals, pasta and pet food
• A sharp ammonia-like smell in cupboards and enclosed spaces
• Shredded paper, insulation or fabric nests behind appliances
• Faint scratching in walls at night

Risks

• Spreads Salmonella and other food-borne bacteria through droppings and urine
• Constant gnawing damages cables, insulation and stored goods
• Urine contamination triggers allergic and asthmatic reactions
• Rapid breeding turns a minor problem into a major one within weeks

Prevention

• Seal gaps as small as 6 mm, about the width of a pencil
• Fit bristle strips or brush seals to external doors
• Store dry goods in glass, metal or thick plastic containers
• Keep appliance recesses clean and free of crumbs

Treatment

Mice are inquisitive but feed at many points, so control needs numerous bait and trap placements rather than a few. We use enclosed traps and bait stations along wall runs, combine them with proofing of entry points, and follow up until monitoring is clear. In food premises we use non-toxic monitoring first, as required by good practice.