Pest Control - Mice
Note: Adur & Worthing Councils do not offer a pest control service. This page is to offer advice and information only. Please see our pest control homepage for how to find a pest control service.
About mice
The adult mouse may weigh up to 50 grams. It usually has brown fur on its back and is grey underneath. Its ears are fairly large in relation to its body and its feet are small. The tail is the same length as the head and body but is much thinner than the tail of a young rat.
Mice are widely distributed throughout urban areas. They are most active at night and will range over a very small area if food is plentiful.
They are less dependent than rats on water and will normally obtain sufficient moisture from their food.
Lifecycle
The life expectancy of mice is around one year during which time the female may breed up to six times.
The average size of litter is six.
Breeding occurs throughout the year but especially in the spring and autumn.
Are they a health hazard and what problems do they cause?
Mice, like rats, are a hazard to health. They are responsible for the spread of disease.
They eat food which may be intended for human consumption and contaminate much more (which must then be disposed of) with their urine, droppings and fur.
Mice will also cause structural damage to property by gnawing through woodwork, electrical wires, pipes and household items.
Mice and rats can carry leptospirosis (or Weil's disease) which, although rare in the UK, can be transmitted to humans from infected animal urine usually via contaminated water (eg from rivers, streams or drains, etc). For more information see:
What can you do to deter/ prevent mice?
When it comes to pest control the best advice you could possibly receive is that prevention is far better than a cure.
If you are prepared to take a few simple precautions you can greatly reduce the risk of suffering a pest infestation which can be a very unpleasant experience.
- Avoid accumulations of rubbish in the garden because these are areas that offer shelter to both rats and mice and where they will then multiply.
- Their next move will be into your home, so don't hoard rubbish, take it to the tip (household waste recycling site).
- Whilst the Council believes composting is good environmental practice, please keep an eye on your compost heap. Even if you don't put food on a compost heap mice and rats may find the warmth within the heap irresistible and ideal for nesting.
- Have you checked your air-bricks recently? Check to see if any are broken or if they are level with or very close to the ground. If they are broken then mice and rats may be able to enter, if they are level with or close to the ground there is a chance that mice will gain access.
- Check round the outside of your house looking for gaps under doors and around pipes or cables that enter the building, holes in exterior walls, etc. A simple test is that if you can get a ball-point pen through the gap then a mouse could enter. The solution is to seal gaps and holes in walls, fit a suitable gauge mesh over air bricks and rectify gaps that exist at the base of doors.
Control methods
They are particularly difficult to control because of the rate at which they breed and are able to colonise new areas.
By ensuring that your premises are in good repair and that no food is left around the house or garden you will prevent mice from being encouraged onto your property.
Page last updated: 03 April 2024