Mice are universally regarded as undesirable visitors in homes, perceived negatively by many. Known for spreading disease, causing damage, consuming your food, and contaminating your living space with their feces and urine, their presence is universally unwelcomed. Without proper control, their numbers can rapidly increase after they are first spotted. But, have you ever paid attention to the variations among the mice found around your dwelling? Their size, fur color, and a range of other physical characteristics could vary, depending on whether your residence is in a city or a countryside area.
Well, we have two types of mice; field mice and house mice. According to their names, house mice are usually found in urban areas occupying dumpsters, homes, etc. In contrast, field mice can be seen in rural areas living underground or in enclosed spaces, etc. House mice are about 2 to 3 inches long with light brown or gray fur and a long furry tail while field mice are about 3 to 4 inches long with much darker brown and gray fur and a short tail without fur.
Difference between field mice and house mice
There are many differences between field mice and house mice. These differences may be due to their difference in habitat, they have different features to help them escape easy detection and allow them to survive. The difference between field mice and house mice include.
| Field mice | House mice |
|---|---|
| They are longer than house mice with a length of 4 to 8 inches when fully mature. | They are shorter than field mice with a length of 3 to 4 inches when fully mature. |
| They have darker-colored fur with lighter-colored bellies. This helps them to escape detection while roaming. | They have lighter-colored fur compared to field mice. |
| They have short hairless tails. | They have long tails with fur. |
| They have smaller eyes than house mice. | They have bigger eyes than field mice. |
| They are usually found in rural areas where they have space to create underground holes for a living. | They are usually found in urban areas and stay near dumpsters and garbage until they find their way into homes, businesses, workplaces, etc. |
| They usually feed on grass and seeds that they rummage from the fields. They usually bring back food to their habitat to store. | They are opportunistic eaters and can eat anything from grass, seeds, human garbage and leftovers, grains and most foodstuffs, insects like crickets, etc. |
| They have a lifespan of 12 - 14 months. | They have a shorter lifespan of 9 - 12 months. |
| They are better at climbing than house mice. | They are better at jumping than field mice. |
| They have known vectors of hantavirus which can cause respiratory issues in someone who gets affected. The disease can be fatal to the infected person. | They have known transmitters of Lyme disease, lymphocytic choriomeningitis, leptospirosis, and rickettsialpox. Rickettsialpox is a mild disease unlike the rest with leptospirosis being fatal in many cases. |
Do field mice come into the house?
Field mice are usually found in rural areas with fields, meadows, and large open spaces to burrow underground and live. However, in times when the grass is dried up and there is little seed for food, these field mice often look to other alternatives and move into your home.
They may begin by rummaging in nearby garbage for foodstuff etc. since most of this garbage is usually from homes, businesses, etc they do attract field mice and can lead to them gaining access to these areas. If your house has any openings or crevices, the field mice can often time crawl inside in search of food and shelter.
Usually, homes are kept warm and this warmth will attract many pests looking to get away from the harsh weather in winter. Field mice can enter homes and, if they find food and shelter, may end up burrowing on the walls and living there. This is because mice, like most pests, seek out places that can provide them with the essentials like food, shelter, etc.
Make sure to be mouse-proof and do pest control to prevent this situation. Mouse-proofing will ensure that the field mice have limited or no access to the home, business, etc, and prevent rapid infestation by mice. Early pest control intervention is also recommended.
Are field mice and house mice a problem?
Field and house mice cause a lot of issues and usually become a problem for knowns and field owners. They both have different feeding mechanisms but with one goal which is to obtain food and shelter. Here are some of the problems caused by field and house mice;
1. They spread diseases
Field and house mice have diseases that they can transfer to humans through their droppings and other methods. Some of these diseases may be mild and easy to treat e.g. Rickettsialpox from house mice. However, many of these diseases can be fatal if gotten by humans e.g. leptospirosis from house mice and hantavirus from field mice. These diseases cause great harm to humans and getting rid of all mice should reduce or eliminate the risk of getting infected.
For example, when it comes to hantavirus which causes Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome which causes severe respiratory issues, Inhaling the droppings or urine of an infected mouse can cause the disease to be transmitted. So If you are dealing with a mice infestation and notice any signs of ill health, make sure to visit your local hospital to get checked out. Early treatment means a higher chance of a good recovery.
2. They can destroy gardens and lawns
This is usually done by field mice although house mice are not exempt. Because field mice live underground, they usually burrow deep into the ground to make their homes. When found in more urban or suburban areas, field mice will usually substitute fields and meadows for gardens and lawns.
They can dig up to 10 holes in your garden and lawns if not eradicated on time. They also eat grass, plants, tree bark, etc, and can cause extensive grazing damage to gardens and lawns especially when they begin to increase in number. House and field mice can cause this type of damage.
3. They can introduce parasites
Field and house mice usually rummage through garbage and move in squalid areas. They have poor hygiene and are usually infested with parasites like ticks, fleas, etc. these parasites are also very notorious pests that can latch onto humans, pets, etc. these parasites such as fleas, ticks can carry diseases that can be spread to residents of the infested house.
Even after the mice have been eliminated, these parasites can remain and continue to cause havoc to humans and pests. Make sure to eliminate the mice’s time to prevent the spread of other parasites they may be harboring.
4. Contaminate food and food prep areas
Field and house mice are usually unhygienic. They dig in garbage cans and wade through all sorts of waste. When they go into a house, they contaminate it with bacteria and dirt from those areas. Because food prep areas usually house some food, mice are easily attracted to them. They are there to find food and shelter and won’t leave behind a steady supply of both.
In a house, business, or workplace, mice are usually found in food-prep and food-storage areas. They can eat through bags and even containers used to store food and while accessing the food, contaminate the rest. If you are dealing with a mice infestation, make sure to clean any food-prep area before use and inspect any food container for mice marks and discard if so.
5. Can damage home structure and property
Field and house mice can cause serious damage to the structure of a building. They can also destroy the property within the building. If not eradicated on time, the damage could be permanent. They do so by chewing on and through wires, pipes, insulation, drywall, clothing, furniture, flooring, pictures, books, and more. The more mice in the home, the higher the level of damage likely will be.
This makes it very important to eradicate mice as early as possible. The mice can severely reduce the integrity of a structure, and cause problems with the structure and foundation, etc. all this will severely reduce the value of the house and cause a loss to the homeowners. Years of mice infestation can end up making a home unsafe to live in and might even end up condemned.
6. Cause nuisance
While burrowing, digging, rummaging for food, eating through containers, etc, mice end up causing a lot of noise and disturbance with their presence. Their droppings and urine are found all over the place and give off an awfully strong and unpleasant smell similar to ammonia. Cleaning these droppings can be a nuisance as the smell is hard to remove.
Having mice also means that you have to be constantly inspecting, cleaning, refreshing, etc just to keep the place sanitary. They cause a lot of nuisance to homeowners, business owners, etc.
How do you get rid of field and house mice in your house?
Having field or house mice in your home is not desirable. There are many methods used to get rid of field and house mice. There are humane and inhumane, toxic and non-toxic, and cheap and expensive methods available. They include;
1. Call an exterminator
Exterminators are trained professionals well-versed in the elimination of most pests e.g mice. They have all the required products, equipment, and knowledge required to eradicate field and house mice. They can get rid of mice from any location such as a home, business, school, etc.
Licensed exterminators sully work under pest control companies and they have liability insurance to cover any damage that may occur during the job. Exterminators also have better success rates and experience when it comes to dealing with mice.
2. Set a mouse trap with bait
Mice traps are traps built to capture mice. The traps usually use bait like cheese, fish, nuts, etc. and mice cannot resist drawing the mice into the cage where it is captured and caged. These traps can be a good option when dealing with one or two mice. However, it is not effective when dealing with a mice infestation.
There are different types of mouse traps available. They have humane mouse traps that simply capture the mice without harming them. There are also deadly or fatal mouse traps that capture the mice and kill them using chemicals, suffocation, etc.
3. Use rodenticides
Rodenticides are chemical substances specially manufactured to kill rodents e.g mice. They can be found in most local stores among the pesticides and insecticides, you can apply the rodenticide by yourself. Applying rodenticide is a good way to mouse-proof your house before or after a mouse infestation.
Before applying the rodenticides, make sure to cover or remove an edible substance from the house. Then simply apply the rodenticide to all areas of the house, especially dark areas, crevices, former or potential hiding spots, etc.
Do field mice go away on their own?
No, Field mice do not go away on their own. It is often believed that since the natural habitat of field mice is outdoors in large open spaces, they will return to it after a while. Well, studies have shown that mice rarely leave on their own especially when there is a steady supply of food and good shelter. This makes it very hard to get rid of mice once they enter the home.
Trying to limit their access to food by sealing all foods in containers, disposing of garbage daily, storing leftovers in the fridge, etc. you can also drive them out of their shelters by sealing entry and exit holes in the walls, sealing any crevices, etc. while this may not eradicate them, it may discourage the increase in numbers.
Do field mice come out during the day?
No, mice are usually nocturnal. This means that they rest during the day and come out at night to scavenge for food. This is why they cause a lot of noise at night while searching for food. You can take advantage of their nocturnal behavior by placing poisoned bait near areas they usually visit at night. Use instant poisons to prevent any mice from dying in the walls or crevices of the house.
