![]() When the nest becomes too foul after a few weeks, the female moves on and builds a new nest nearby. Both deer mice and white-footed mice urinate and defecate directly into their nests. A favorite indoor nest site is on top of the sill plate in the basement or crawlspace, particularly in the corners.Īn indoor deer mouse nest can be more than a foot in diameter and is lined with shredded paper, insulation, strips of cloth or furniture stuffing. They’re often found nesting in unused stuffed furniture, or in cabinets, boxes or equipment. Inside, they nest in many of the same locations as house mice. ![]() They are good climbers and can gain entrance to buildings by using trees, shrubs and vines to get into attics or upper levels. As winter approaches, they may try to get into homes, garages and other buildings. Deer mice don’t hibernate they actively feed all year long, mostly at night. When nesting inside, their foraging range is similar to that of a house mouse, about 30 feet from the nest. The home range of a deer mouse nesting outdoors can be up to an acre or more. The deer mouse also commonly nests in abandoned vehicles or farm equipment where it chews into upholstered seats and gnaws on electrical wires. Outdoor nests are made of stems, twigs, leaves and roots, and may be lined with feathers or fur. Outdoors, it nests around the roots of trees, under boards or logs, in tree stumps, sheds, garages, in wood piles, and in animal burrows or squirrel or bird nests. While the house mouse occupies urban areas, the deer mouse is more common in rural or semi-rural areas. In these sites, technicians should take special precautions, including the use of a respirator with a high-efficiency (HE) filter. Human cases occur in sites that have large populations of Peromyscus mice with dusty accumulations of droppings and urine that become airborne when disturbed. It is spread to humans mostly when airborne virus particles are inhaled. The virus is found in the saliva, urine and feces of these mice. The deer mouse, and sometimes the white-footed mouse, are the mice primarily responsible for transmitting Hantavirus to humans. ![]() The photo at left points out deer mouse features that are different from those of the house mouse. It gets its name because its coloration resembles that of the white-tailed deer - gray or tawny brown above and white below. The deer mouse and the house mouse are roughly the same size, but most people think the deer mouse is “cuter” with its large eyes and ears and two-tone fur. Instead, the white-footed mouse occupies much of this region. The deer mouse is found throughout most of Canada and the United States, with the exception of the southeastern U.S. The white-footed mouse, Peromyscus leucopus, is closely related to the deer mouse with similar appearance and habits. The deer mouse, Peromyscus maniculatus, is in a completely different family than the house mouse, Mus musculus. It is important to know the difference if you work in areas that have a history of Hantavirus cases. Often, pest control technicians don’t know whether they are dealing with house mice or deer mice in an account. Editor’s Note: This article was adapted from Techletter, a biweekly publication from Pinto & Associates, Mechanicsville, Md.
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