Mice may seem small and harmless; however, they can cause serious damage to your Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan home and business, and spread disease to you, your family, and anyone else who comes in contact with them. If you have a mice infestation, resolving it usually isn’t as simple as just setting a trap and moving on. If you have ever had these rodents in your home or business, you are likely already aware that there is usually never just one. In fact, there are typically many more than one, because they breed and an infestation can grow rapidly. Just how fast do mice multiply? Let’s review.
How Fast do Mice Multiply? | Mouse Math
Mice, like other pests and rodents, make their way inside cars, homes, businesses, and other structures, seeking food, water, and shelter. If one finds your space as a good place to live, it is highly likely that they are not alone. No home ever has just one mouse and you shouldn’t think otherwise.
How fast do mice multiply? Mice are breeding machines. They have a gestation period of only 3 weeks or less. A female mouse gets pregnant about 5 to 10 times each year and each time can give birth to 3 to 14 pups, with the average litter being 6 to 8 pups. This means that, on average, a female mouse can have at least 32 to 56 pups each year. Talk about a big family!
Mice not only reproduce a lot and often, they start young. A baby female mouse can start giving birth at just 6 weeks and produce the same size litters as they came from.
Because the average house mouse can live for around 2 to 3 years, they can produce a lot of other mice in that timeframe. If you have two mice in your home or business, they could give birth about 60 times throughout the year. That can lead to around 5,082 new mice in just 12 months. That’s a big problem that started from such a small rodent.
Prevent Mice from Making your Home and Business their Home
Because mice can multiply extremely quickly, if you suspect you have one of these rodents in your space, you need to address it immediately. Even waiting one day could cause the issue to grow much larger. Think about it, even if there is just one mouse that made its way inside, if it were pregnant, you could have up to 14 more mice in no time.
The best way to keep your home and business from being a mice breeding ground, is to prevent them in the first place. There are ways to keep mice and other rodents out:
- Seal all cracks and holes. Keep in mind, mice can fit through a crack or hole one-fourth of an inch or larger (about the width of a pencil and/or pen), because of this, it is important to check around your home or business for even the smallest of crevices that are open to the outdoors.
- Remove and contain all food sources. Ensure that all food around your home or business is in sealed containers and not easy for these rodents to get to. This includes pet food.
- Keep things clean and tidy. Mice love clutter and use it to create their nests. Don’t welcome them into your home or business by giving them a place to build a home of their own.
- Clean around the outdoors. The exterior of your home or business can also welcome these little rodents in. Things like tree limbs that lead to your windows or roof, vines, wood piles near the exterior, and overgrown grass and shrubs can be welcome mats for mice to come inside.
For the most effective form of mouse control in Northwest Ohio and Southwest Michigan, you need a multi-placated approach to eliminate the current problem and prevent future infestations. Attempting this on your own, if you aren’t an expert in mouse behavior or elimination, like we are at Delving Pest Control, will likely not only cause frustration, but it could be dangerous for your health and safety and allow time for the infestation to grow.
Contact us today to get the help of our professionals at Delving Pest Control. Rodent infestations in can be a major nuisance and could take several treatments. We will come out and inspect your structure to identify the level of infestation and recommend corrective action plans to eliminate your rodent problem fast. We are skilled at treating, eliminating, and preventing mouse infestations. Trust Delving Pest Control to eliminate your unwanted rodents discreetly.
