Finding a mouse in your home is never fun. Your thoughts may immediately go to the damage they may have caused and if they have contaminated any food in the building. However, one of the more troubling thoughts is “How many more mice are there in here?” Well, it all depends on a few factors. Here is are some rules of thumb that can help you estimate the number of mice in your home:
Seeing one mouse in the kitchen during daytime
Mice rarely venture outside during the day – they are nocturnal creatures. They have poor vision, and daylight exposes them to predators. This means that if you see a mouse during the day, it was pressured to be outside. This may be due to cold weather, the presence of a predator, or due to its nest being destroyed. It can mean one of two things: there is either only one mouse in the home, or there are a lot. The differentiating factor here is the amount of droppings that you find in the building. If there are a lot of dropping, and other signs of mouse presence, then you have a large infestation.
Seeing one mouse at night or in a dark area of the home such as the attic or garage
Since mice are nocturnal, it is normal to see them out of their nest at night, or in dark areas of the home. When mice act normally, this means that there is a colony present, and that its reproduction rate is high. Once again, you will have to rely on other signs to determine the size of the colony. You can also invest in motion-activated night-sensitive cameras to get a count of the mice, but this would be a rather expensive investment for domestic applications. Rather, sticking to the traditional method of determining the size of the infestation based on the amount of droppings and food consumed can be decently effective.
A small infestation can grow very quickly
Seeing just one mouse in the home should be a sign of alarm. House mice take about five to eight weeks to reach their sexual maturity, so in less than two months, a couple of mice can quickly turn into a dozen. A female mouse gives birth within three weeks to about eight babies, so acting fast is essential. If you notice a mouse in the home, contact us today and we will help you root out the infestation.