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​​Southampton Office

(516) 366-0317

(631) 488-1258

High Caliber Wildlife Control

Professional Humane Trapping, Exclusion & Relocation Service

Mice

Long Island’s commensal mice species include the House mouse (Mus musculus), Deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) and White-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus). Each weigh just under one ounce and measure between 2”-3 ½” long with 3”-4” tails.

Mice are opportunistic feeders that can survive on minimal amounts of food. An adult mouse only needs 1/10 of an ounce of food daily to survive. Mice get nutrition from a vast array of sources including acorns, seeds, nuts, wild fruits & vegetables, succulent plant roots, unsecured pet food and human food waste. Mice usually store food in “caches” throughout the structure they are denning inside. These food caches support the mice during times they can not leave the structure, like during inclement weather or when food sources are scarce. Unlike rats, mice do NOT require a daily fresh water source to survive. They have the ability to synthesize “metabolic water”, which is the process of oxidizing substances in their food items to provide hydration. Therefore, mice do not have to leave a structure to stay hydrated if they are getting enough water from their stored food caches.

Mice need one other necessity to thrive and that is shelter. Shelter can be had in many forms including chicken coups, barns, sheds and even more likely any place where humans provide artificial climate control including garages, commercial buildings and homes. If mice are frequenting anywhere on your property for food, water or nesting material, it is inevitable that they will attempt to exploit gaps, openings or other structural weaknesses of your home or business to gain access.

The term rodent derives from the Latin word rodere, which means “to gnaw”. Rodent teeth continue to grow every day, so they must chew or gnaw on objects daily to wear down their teeth which continue to grow throughout their life. Their daily gnawing behavior along with teeth grinding are the only things that keeps their incisors worn down enough to fit in their mouths. Rodents have a space between their front incisors and rear molars called the diastema. This space gives rodents the ability to gnaw on items while blocking their airway and tongue from the material, substance or contaminate. This is the reason why commercial sprays, gels, powders and sour/spicy deterrents do not work on rodents, because they do not have to ingest or taste the item they are gnawing on to get inside or through it.

Also see the rodent exclusion, rodent control and wildlife trapping services we provide.