Are Deer Mice Harmful in Pittsburgh, PA? How to Know You Have a Deer Mouse Infestation & More

Found in Philadelphia and throughout most of Pennsylvania and New Jersey, deer mice are common. Deer mice are capable of wreaking havoc on a household or business, despite their small size.
When dealing with a deer mouse infestation, you need the expertise of Stewart Termite & Pest Control since they are carriers of the hantavirus. Today, we would like to discuss deer mice generalities and characteristics.

How Can You Tell a Deer Mouse from a Rodent?

With white underbellies, the deer mouse features a gray to reddish-brown back. In addition to the underbellies being light, they have white feet and a long tail. Being approximately four to eight inches long and weighing less than one ounce, a mature deer mouse has pointy nose and large, black eyes are distinctive, as are its large ears and the fur is sparse. With hind limbs that are shorter than the forelimbs, their bodies are long and sleek.

What Do Deer Mice Like to Eat?

For the deer mouse, all seeds are favorites. They are known to have prevented forests from re-seeding by consuming all of the seeds that are naturally dropped by trees and plants, where larger populations of this rodent are present in fact. Also, they will eat other things like insects as well as fruit in addition to eating pet food bird feeder food, and any of your scraps.

Where Do You Find Deer Mice?

Deer mice are highly adaptable and though they prefer prairies, pastures and meadows, they can survive virtually anywhere from the mountains to the desert. It is not common to see it in residential or commercial areas, unless those areas are found close to parks, crops or natural spaces because the deer mouse prefers these wilder areas. Deer mice construct a nest that is shaped like a cup when the deer mouse finds a place to live. In the wild, nest materials include feathers, fur and shredded plant fibers. Inside, they often use paper, upholstery and furniture stuffing.

Are Deer Mice Harmful?

They are a plague to forests, agricultural areas, and residential gardeners due to their voracious appetite for seeds. all sorts of gardens are not safe from an infestation because they also have an appetite for flowers, fruits and vegetables. Though they are nuisance for farmers and gardeners, the real risk presented by these rodents is to human health. Being known carriers of the hantavirus, when they enter a space that is occupied by deer mice people may be exposed to a deadly disease. The elimination of the species from human-inhabited structures imperative.

How Do You Know if You Have Deer Mice?

Below are general indications of a deer mouse presence.
1) Cup-shaped nests
2) Possessions have gnaw marks
3) Deer mice sightings

How Do You Keep Deer Mice Away?

To prevent problems with deer mice, homes and businesses should take the following measures in helping:
1) To eliminate hiding places, remove collected garbage and clutter
2) In places where deer mice might otherwise hide, provide sanitary conditions
3) With caulk, seal cracks and voids
4) Over larger holes and openings, place boards or screens
5) Around foundations, ensure there is good drainage

Rodent Control

When you need professional assistance for pest control, especially if you know or suspect deer mice, call in the experts of Stewart Termite & Pest Control.