Wildlife Damage Management, Internet Center for

 

Title

House Mice

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

July 1994

The house mouse (Mus musculus) is a small, slender rodent that has a slightly pointed nose; small, black, somewhat protruding eyes; large, sparsely haired ears; and a nearly hairless tail with obvious scale rings. House mice are considered among the most troublesome and economically important rodents in the United States.

Effective prevention and control of house mouse damage involves three aspects: rodent-proof construction, sanitation, and population reduction by means of traps, toxicants, or fumigants. The first two are useful as preventive measures, but when a house mouse infestation already exists, some form of population reduction is almost always necessary.

Frightening: Ultrasonic devices have not been proven to control mice.
Repellents: Ro-pel®, Moth flakes (naphthalene) not specifically registered, but may be of some value.
Toxicants: Anticoagulant rodenticides (slow-acting chronic-type toxicants). Brodifacoum (Talon®). Bromadiolone (Maki®, Contrac®). Chlorophacinone (RoZol®). Diphacinone (Ditrac®). Pindone (Pival®, Pivalyn®). Warfarin (Final® and others).
Toxicants other than anticoagulants (may be acute or chronic poisons): Bromethalin (Assault®, Vengeance®). Cholecalciferol (Quintox®). Zinc phosphide (Ridall Zinc®, ZP®).
Fumigants: Practical use is limited to structures, containers, and commodities; for use only by trained personnel.
Trapping: Snap traps. Live traps (Sherman-type, Ketch-All®, Tin Cat®, and others). Glue boards.
Other Methods: Predators: dogs and cats are of limited value in some situations.