By the fourth day their ears fully develop, by the tenth day they grow a full coat of hair, and by the fourteenth day they open their eyes for the first time. After 21 days of nursing, the pups will wean and leave their mothers. At two months old, female mice are fully matured and can begin having pups of their own. Once they are fully grown, mice will begin their search for food.
Despite their small size, mice eat 15 to 20 times per day. While they primarily feed on plant-based material, house mice will also eat meat and dairy products they find inside the home. Sometimes they will even eat their own droppings to acquire nutrients produced by bacteria in their guts! The question of how many mice are born in an average house mouse litter is a loaded one. The answer touches upon how one pair of intruders can multiply its numbers and become a serious infestation problem.
Make sure to check out our control options below to see what options you have to solve an infestation problem. Warning: Be prepared to be overwhelmed—and not just from the math involved!
For starters, you have to have two mice, a male and a female. Once a pair successfully mates, it typically takes a little less than three weeks for the gestation period to be complete. The mother gives birth to between five and seven pups, although twice as many are possible. One of the reasons nature has decreed that animals in the wild have large litters is because of the environmental factors that work against their vulnerable young. Lack of sufficient shelter or food means that only the heartiest will survive, and mothers may even eat their young ones in stressful situations.
According to University of Oklahoma professor Douglas W. Mock, author of More than Kin and Less than Kind , a mouse might devour her offspring for two reasons.
And the fathers take that very seriously, wanting to ensure that it is their genes specifically that are passed along to the offspring. Once out in the world and ready for solid foods, new mice will raid your pantry. The best way to prevent and deter house mice from getting into your food is to store it safely and maintain a clean home. Some tips on how to do this:. If you can eliminate food sources for incoming mice, you can significantly reduce the likelihood that they will stick around and breed more.
As cute and helpless as baby mice may seem, they are a nuisance and better suited to living outdoors. If you can find and remove the nest, do so. The all too unpleasant smell may linger for a week or more.
Snap traps and sticky traps tend to work best, but mice are quick learners and cautious to a fault. They may not take the bait if they suspect danger. A Griffin pest solutions specialist can help trap and remove mice from your home and give you peace of mind.
The best way to prevent your home from becoming a nursery for baby mice is to prevent them from coming in in the first place. Audit your home — perhaps with the guidance of a pest control technician — to pinpoint where mice are getting in. Some of the most common portals are:.
0コメント