House Mouse Facts & Information

House mice can be found throughout the United States. House mice are typically dusty gray with cream-colored bellies. Fur color varies from light brown to dark gray depending on the mouse’s location. House mice have four legs and a round shaped body. Their muzzles are pointed, and their ears are large with some hair. House mice range from 2.5 to 3.75 inches long. Their tails are usually 2.75 to 4 inches long – usually as long as their body is. They have large ears and their droppings are pointed, about the size of a grain of rice. In nature, mice prefer to eat cereal and seeds, but they will also eat insects, nuts and fruits. Inside structures, mice will consume almost any human food, but prefer grain based products.

House mice are very social. They organize themselves in social hierarchies with one male dominating lower-ranking males and a large number of females in a given territory. Mature male mice are socially compatible with related mice, but they are hostile and aggressive towards strangers. The size of a house mouse’s territory varies, but it is frequently no larger than 4-5 feet. The size of the territory varies based on the availability of food and water. They are excellent climbers and can jump up to a foot high; however, they are colorblind and cannot see clearly beyond six inches.

House mice breed rapidly and can adapt quickly to changing conditions. In fact, a female house mouse can give birth to a half dozen babies every three weeks and can produce up to 35 young per year. In the wild, they will live about a year but in your home or business with the shelter from natural predators, they can live up to 3 years! And they will breed the entire time, so when you first see one, be sure to call in a mouse exterminator immediately.

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