Feature Article January 22, 2004
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Mouse in the House
Somehow mice have been able to get into my house, though the house is relatively new. Is there a hole around a pipe I haven't located? Do they come in through my sump pump hole, which has never been wet? Is there an irregularity along the top of the cement that is small enough for these small rodents to squeeze in?
When one thinks of a mouse in a house, one tends to think it is a House Mouse. Often that is the case, but not here. The mice that have been making a nuisance of themselves, and in the process driving my cat to distraction, are Deer Mice. If I could be completely impartial, I would say they are cute little animals, with their golden to cinnamon-brown backs, white underbellies, white-gloved feet, shiny dark eyes, and large Mickey-Mouse ears. They are very difficult to distinguish from the White-footed Mouse, which some books say is a subspecies of the Deer Mouse (or vice versa), though apparently the White-footed is a grayer animal, with slightly larger hind feet, and a shorter tail that is not sharply bi-coloured like that of the Deer Mouse.
Primarily nocturnal, the Deer Mouse forages for food by moonlight, avoiding such predators as owls, cats, and foxes. During the day, it sleeps in a small underground nest. Typically, the nest is situated at the end of a short underground tunnel. Leaves, moss, feathers and other such materials are shaped into a spherical nest where the Deer Mouse sleeps during the day, and the female raises her young. Apparently fastidious about keeping its fur clean and well-groomed, it is not so with their nest, where they will leave droppings and urine. When the nest becomes too unpleasant, another site will be found. Food is often buried around the entrance to the nest.
Although they are mainly terrestrial, Deer Mice are surprisingly skilled climbers and can be partially arboreal. They have been known to make their nests as high as 4.5 m off the ground. (That is until they find their way into my house!)
As the prey for many carnivores, the Deer Mouse compensates by having up to four litters a year.
In the wild it will feed on many types of seeds, berries, acorns, insects and even other small invertebrates, but in my basement it zeroes in on my supply of sunflower seeds for the birds, which have turned up in a variety of places, stored there by my unwelcome guests. Their nighttime activities are often interrupted by my cat, who will manage to catch one but not kill it, and will happily bring it up to the bedroom where he lets it go - he seems to think it is a toy. It is then my turn to overcome the animal with a slipper, and throw it outside.
A word of warning - Deer Mice may carry the Hanta Virus, which can be a serious disease for humans. Care should be taken to filter the air while cleaning areas in which they live so as not to breathe the dust that may be disturbed.
Observations: Helm, in Oconto, had 3 Snow Buntings coming to his feeder on January 13. Shirley Peruniak had a Sharp-shinned Hawk hit her window, but not killed, also on the 13th. Thanks to all who responded to my article on Fishers - pro or con! Share your observations - contact Jean at 268-2518; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
