Wildlife Damage Management, Internet Center for
Title
White-Footed and Deer Mice
Document Type
Article
Date of this Version
July 1994
Fifteen species of native mice of the
genus Peromyscus may be found in the
United States. The two most common
and widely distributed species are the
deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus,
Fig. 1) and the white-footed mouse
(P. leucopus). This chapter will deal
primarily with these species. Collectively,
all species of Peromyscus are
often referred to as “white-footed
mice” or “deer mice.” Other species
include the brush mouse (P. boylei),
cactus mouse (P. eremicus), canyon
mouse (P. crinitus), cotton mouse
(P. gossypinus), golden mouse
(P. nuttalli), piñon mouse (P. truei),
rock mouse (P. difficilis), white-ankled
mouse (P. pectoralis), Merriam mouse
(P. merriami), California mouse
(P. californicus), Sitka mouse
(P. sitkensis), oldfield mouse (P. polionotus),
and the Florida mouse
(P. floridanus).
Exclusion:
Rodent-proof construction will
exclude mice from buildings and
other structures.
Use hardware cloth (1/4-inch [0.6 cm]
mesh) or similar materials to exclude
mice from garden seed beds.
Habitat Modification:
Store food items left in cabins or other
infrequently used buildings in
rodent-proof containers.
Store furniture cushions, drawers, and
other items in infrequently used
buildings in ways that reduce
nesting sites.
Frightening: Not effective.
Repellents:
Naphthalene (moth balls or flakes)
may be effective in confined spaces.
Toxicants:
Anticoagulants.
Zinc phosphide.
Fumigants: None are registered.
Trapping:
Snap traps.
Box- (Sherman) type traps.
Automatic multiple-catch traps.
Other Methods--Alternative feeding: Experiments
suggest that application of
sunflower seed may significantly
reduce consumption of conifer seed
in forest reseeding operations,
although the tests have not been
followed to regeneration.
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