Pest Library
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All it takes is one pest sighting to ruin the reputation you’ve worked so hard to build.
White-Footed Mouse
Peromyscus leucopus (Rafinesque)
Mice infiltrate food and damage furniture, but can also pose a serious health threat to people. Hantavirus is a deadly disease that is transmitted by inhaling dust contaminated with mice and rodent urine and droppings.
RISK LEVEL:
LOW
MEDIUM
HIGH
Risk is defined as how much damage each pest can be to you, your family, or your home
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| Class: | Order: | Family: | |
| Mammalia | Rodentia | Muridae | |
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| Size: | White-footed mouse head+body length is 3.5-4 in (9-10 cm ); tail length is 2.5-4 in (6.4-10 cm ); hind foot is 7/8 in (2.2 cm) long; ears are less than 1/2 in (1.3 cm) high. Weight is 3/8 to 1-1/2 ounces. |
| Color: | Upper parts are grayish to reddish brown; belly and feet are white; tail is the same two colors. The young have gray upper parts and white bellies. |
| Characteristics: | Tail is longer than half but usually less than length of head+body, and is covered with short hairs or fur. Hind feet have 6 pads each. |
| Geographic Range: | Eastern U.S. from mid-Maine so. to w. North Carolina, no. South Carolina, no. Georgia, and no. Alabama; west to Montana, no. Colorado, c. Arizona. |
| Food: | The white-footed mouse eats seeds, nuts, fruit, beetles, caterpillars, other insects. Favorite foods include the center of the black cherry pit and jewel weed seed. Seeds and nuts are stored near nest in autumn. |
| Biology: | White-footed mice are nocturnal. They are active all year. They may stay in nest, or enter structures in cold weather. A few may hibernate in northern parts of range. Females begin to breed at 10-11 weeks of age, and have 2-4 litters per year, with 2-6 young per litter. Pregnancy is about 3 weeks long. Life span is 2-3 years in the wild, 5 or more in captivity. |
- Often enter buildings in the winter to escape outside temperatures.
- May notice mouse feces in various areas.
- You may find teeth or gnaw marks through food or cardboard.
- Often enter through extremely tiny cracks in your pipes or walls.