Have you ever seen a mouse in your Alabama house? If you have, are you wondering what type it was and why it entered your home? Well, if there is a mouse in your house right now, you will need to get down off the chair and stop panicking before we can tell you all about the mice of Alabama and why they are in your home.
More importantly, the friendly experts at Covenant Wildlife Removal will come out to remove the mice from your home. That said, you need to get off the table to let them in the door. Mice are really not that scary, anyhow. So, come on down and read the following article on the mouse in your house.
What Type of Mouse Could be in Your Alabama House?
There are several types of mice in Alabama. What kind you find in your home largely depends on where you live and the “attractiveness” of your home to the mice in question. Let’s begin with discovering ten types of mice in Alabama divided into four categories.
Common Mice:
The most common mice are the ones homeowners see the most. They are quite invasive and adaptable to any living condition. In appearance, they are brown or gray with lighter underbellies, and their tails are covered with fur.
- House Mouse: Often called the Thief mouse, these critters are all throughout the US. They are found in homes, warehouses, factories, restaurants, barns, and more. The worst is that they are prolific breeders. And they are most dangerous to our human homes if not kept in check. The house mouse will chew holes in wiring, walls, floors, baseboards, and furniture. Additionally, the droppings spread disease and encourage allergies in humans.
- Marsh Oryzomys: Another standard mouse found all over Alabama, these mice live in the wet meadows and near ditches, swamps, and streams. They also breed year-round, and scientists are not concerned about their numbers.
- Golden Mouse: The Golden is a typical mouse variety that can live just about anywhere. They are very docile and social. Interesting fact, Golden mice are the variety often depicted in storybooks due to their attractive coloring. And, they use their tails to hang and balance.
Deer Mice:
Deer mice are typically covered in fur with large ears and black eyes. They measure 2-4 inches with tails as long or longer. They have light underbellies and darker bodies. According to Pest World,
“These rodents rarely invade residential homes, but they can be a problem in farming areas, vacation homes, outbuildings, and sheds. Deer mice are of medical concern because they are common carriers of Hantavirus.”
- Cotton Deermouse: These mice are prevalent and are located in forests, fields, and swamps. They breed year-round, which may be a clue to their numbers not being diminished.
- White-footed Deermouse: Also known as the Wood Mouse, these are not well known. They are found in urban areas, parks, and streams.
- Oldfield Deermouse: The Oldfield is a deer mouse and is often called a beach mouse as well. They live in various areas with well-drained or sandy soils. The fun fact is they are the hoarders that you’ll find burrowing with stores of seeds. What’s more, they are becoming endangered due to construction along the beaches.
Beach Mice:
Beach mice are on the endangered lists, according to the US Fish & Wildlife Service. These little ones are a very light buff color with white underbellies that blend in with the sand.
- Alabama Beach Mouse: This endangered mouse used to populate the beach areas, but its population has declined due to construction. They are rarely found in homes and mostly live in sand dunes when seen.
- Perdido Key Beach Mouse: Similar to the beach mouse, these are one of the endangered varieties. They are lighter in color and are only found on Perdido Kay due to storms and habitat destruction.
Field Mice:
Field mice are gray or brown with a white underbelly and feet. They have short tails and are found mostly in fields. They are a more common mouse, and they can climb, jump, swim, and chew their way into just about any structure.
- Meadow Jumping Mouse: Found in wet meadows, open fields, marshes, bogs, and swamps, this mouse comes out of hibernation in spring to feed and reproduce.
- Eastern Harvest Mouse: This one is another of the mice with declining numbers. They are found in old fields with weeds and tall grasses, yet they breed year-round.
What to Do with a Mouse in Your House
If you have seen a mouse in your house, there are several more. Chances are there will be even more if they are not eradicated as soon as possible. If you notice any of the following, you should call your local wildlife company.
- Scratching and scurrying sound in the walls and ceilings.
- Droppings located behind appliances, in the pantry, and along floorboards.
- Nests made of torn paper, tissues, clothes, and insulation will be under furniture or shelving.
- Chew marks on pantry boxes, bags of food, electrical wiring, and wood structures.
- A musty and foul urine odor.
You see, mice will destroy your Alabama home in no time. They multiply rapidly, and the more mice, the more damage they create. And,mice will do any and all of the following:
- Chew on wires, which could cause a house fire.
- Gnaw on concrete, wood, drywall, plastic pipes, insulation, and aluminum.
- Eat just about anything they can find, including the food in your pantry.
- Urinate and defecate anywhere, creating stains and odors that need professional cleaning and disinfection.
- Spread diseases like salmonella and more. These diseases are transmitted through the droppings and urine they leave everywhere.
Mice Prevention
Preventing the mice from coming in is the first step. While wildlife repellents work on some animals, you likely need to take additional measures to control them from entering the yard or home. Preventing critters and pests is simpler than you think. Here are some suggestions from the pros at Covenant Wildlife Removal.
- First, remove any overgrown brush where they may be able to hide or build a nest.
- Ensure no food source attracts them, like pet food left on the porch, bird feeders, and fruit fallen from trees on the ground.
- Then homeowners should cover trash cans with tight-fitting lids.
- Keep limbs trimmed and away from the roofline.
- Store firewood off the ground.
- Cover entries such as the chimney, gutters, downspouts, and vents.
When mice invade, the best thing to do is to call Covenant to inspect the yard and house, recommending a plan to remove the mice from your Alabama Home.
Professional “Mouse in Your House” Removal
Once you have identified the commotion as a mice infestation, you will want to call for a professional wildlife removal company like the friendly technicians at Covenant Wildlife Removal. Your wildlife expert will gladly look for the nest and identify the entry points and attractors.
Once they have found them, the technician will trap the mice and remove them from your home. Then comes the all-important remediation process. The service representative will remove the nest, clean, deodorize and disinfect the area, and seal the entry points to your home. That way, mice cannot get back in.
A Note About Endangered Species…
An additional thought, there are a lot of protected animals in the state of Alabama. If you have a critter on your property and don’t know every protected animal, then you may want to call someone who does. And as you read in the above, there are a few mice on the endangered list and others going that way. The professionals at Covenant Wildlife Removal know which animals are under protection, how to handle them, and where to take them for relocation.
At Covenant Wildlife Removal, we suggest you leave the removal of protected animals to the pros.
If you find yourself needing help in the Alabama Mice Eradication department, call Covenant Wildlife Removal right away.
