Mice: cute creatures or destroyers of the human race

Mice are small but far from harmless creatures. In villages and towns, they are unpopular because they ruin grain harvests: if they get into a barn, some of the supplies can easily be thrown out. They also carry dangerous diseases, including the plague. In the Middle Ages, Europe suffered from it, thanks to mice.

What do mice look like, eat, and reproduce?

These herbivores are about the size of an adult's palm. They have gray fur, a small muzzle, black eyes, whiskers, sharp claws, and teeth. Their long, thin tails are covered with fine scales or barely noticeable down. They are completely hairless. The hair on their bodies is short and soft. They weigh 20–30 grams. They have a light skeleton, but a mobile and flexible body. The forelimbs are shorter than the hind limbs, allowing mice to run quickly and sit while holding food. Five toes on the hind limbs provide good support in this position.

The structure of the paws is interesting: the front ones have four toes with sharp claws, the back ones have five.

Mice breed during the warmer months in the wild and year-round in human homes. A litter can contain five to nine individuals. Gestation lasts three to four weeks. Females reach sexual maturity within a month of birth, and males within a month and a half. Mice live an average of two years.

They are nocturnal, see well in the dark, and navigate thanks to their long whiskers and a keen sense of smell—this is precisely why rodents have such an elongated muzzle. Mice eat literally everything that is lying around: soap, candles, glue, furniture upholstery, wood and much more. Of course, they enjoy grains and cheese. Their diet depends entirely on their habitat. In the wild, they live in forests, fields, and deserts, and in cities, in basements and between walls.

Four toes on the front paws of mice are enough to hold food firmly.

Types of mice

Many people think that there are few species of mice, but this is not true.

Baby mouse

It's no coincidence that it received this name, as it's one of the smallest mammals. An adult reaches 11–13 cm in length, half of which is the tail. Its weight does not exceed 16 g.

The little mouse lives in Europe and Asia.

The rodent is easily recognized by its bright reddish color, flattened muzzle, and short ears pressed tightly to its head. The little ones settle in meadows and forests near rivers and lakes, as well as in cereal fields and rice paddies. They travel extensively along rivers and ascend mountains to altitudes of up to 2,200 meters. They are difficult to spot unless near a home or in winter, when the animals gather in small flocks. They build a proper nest from various twigs and blades of grass, securing it to the stems of herbaceous plants at a height that mice can easily reach—up to 1.3 meters.

Baby mice make nests for themselves in the stems of tall plants

The babies are sensitive to temperature: in winter, they are more active during the day, when it's cooler, and in summer, at night, when the sun's rays are gone and it's cooler. However, their daily routine remains constant: every three hours, sleep alternates with feeding and foraging. They feed on oats and meadow pea (a perennial herbaceous plant), but do not disdain rice and other cereals. Rodents themselves do not get sick, but they carry tick-borne encephalitis, leptospirosis and other diseases.

Baby mice are cute creatures, so they are often kept as pets.

Wood mouse

This small animal is grayish-brown in color. A stripe of dark fur runs along its spine, merging into a bald tail of the same color. Its body length is no more than 7.5 cm, and its tail is longer than its body—up to 10.5 cm. The European wood mouse weighs up to 9 grams. Its hind legs are massive, reminiscent of those of a jerboa, while its forelimbs, like those of all rodents, are small and not particularly suitable for long-distance running.

The animals live in forests and forest-steppes, primarily in Central and Eastern Europe, but are also found in Russian Siberia and the Urals. They live peacefully at altitudes of up to 2 km and settle mainly in old rotten stumps. To avoid being found, they resort to tricks when arranging their homes:

• the entrance is hidden under a piece of peeling bark, under which one can easily crawl: if one does not see the mouse, one cannot guess that this is its home;
• The wood dust is not thrown outside or hidden, but is evenly distributed along the passages made in the stump.

In winter, it is cold to live in stumps, so the mouse makes a hole in the ground with many passages and builds a nest there from leaves and grass. It can be called a predatory rodent, because in addition to plant food, it feeds on ants and various beetles, as well as larvae. But the mouse is easy to tame; it comes into a person’s arms on its own.

The number of wood mice in the world is constantly declining.

Steppe mouse

This is a very small creature, with a body length ranging from 6.5 to 7.5 cm, and a tail from 8 to 9 cm. The color of the fur depends on the animal's habitat and age: the younger the individual, the lighter the fur. A bright black stripe is visible along the spine, and several less pronounced ones are on the sides.

The steppe mouse inhabits Europe and Asia, primarily plains and foothill steppes, forest-steppes, and semi-deserts. Their range extends from Austria and Hungary to Lake Baikal, and some species are found in northern China. Rodents live alone, are active mainly at twilight and at night, but sometimes they can be seen during the day. They move quickly—at a trot or gallop, using their tails for balance. By winter, mice have accumulated enough fat reserves to sleep for six months in a warm and cozy burrow. They make their home underground, often choosing abandoned burrows. They feed on plant matter, small insects, and invertebrates, which they prefer.

Steppe mice are easily tamed by people and quickly adapt to new living conditions. They are carriers of hemorrhagic fever, tick-borne rickettsiosis, leptospirosis and other diseases.

The steppe mouse does not spoil food supplies, but it is a carrier of dangerous diseases.

Gerbil

These animals are related to mice, although they look more like rats. Their body length reaches 20 cm and they weigh up to 227 grams. They have sand-colored fur and a long, dark, tufted tail. Some gerbils can be seen without a tail at all. This is a defense against predators: it is easier to step on the tail than to catch the animal itself, so the gerbil sheds its “fifth limb” if necessary. But this is a mouse, not a lizard, so the tail does not grow back, and the animal remains without one for the rest of its life.

The name of these mice comes from the word "sand." They are most commonly found in the steppes and deserts of Africa and Asia, including India, Mongolia, and China (except for the southern and eastern regions). These rodents move easily across the sand and can even leap up to 3.5 meters.

Gerbils are mostly diurnal and feed on plants, most of which are naturally created to stabilize sand. These rodents are easily tamed. In captivity, they do not store food and feed on cereals, fruits and vegetables. Citrus fruits are strictly forbidden for mice.

The gerbil has a very beautiful coloring and a cute face, which is why it is often tamed and taken as a pet.

House mouse

This is the most unremarkable species. The animal's body length is no more than 9 cm, and its tail is significantly shorter than its body. Its fur is dirty gray with an unpleasant reddish tint; dark gray mice are rare. It is no coincidence that they were named this way: rodents live in human houses, especially in those where there are people and it is warm in the winter. They nest in basements, between walls and ceilings, in attics—in any crevice where they feel comfortable. They always make a nest for themselves out of leaves, paper, rags, and plants. They feed on whatever they find indoors, including soap, candles, and even dried glue, but in a rural home, they prefer to search for grains and seeds.

The house mouse eats everything it finds in the house.

White mice

These animals are closely related to the common house mouse, but they are much more attractive. Their body length ranges from 6.5 to 12 cm, and their tail is shorter: 60–90% of their body length. It is covered with fine hairs, which give them a fluffier appearance. Their pink nose and ears, as well as black eyes, contrast beautifully with their white fur. These rodents weigh 12–30 g.

White mice feed on plants, so they don't have fangs at all. Their favorite foods are barley, oats, millet, wheat, oilseeds, and legumes. They produce 10 to 13 litters per year, each containing 5–8 mice. Litters of up to 15 individuals are rarely born. Therefore, white mice, like house mice, are a major problem for humans. They live in the walls of houses and basements, where they build nests from all sorts of debris. Like other species, white mice carry dangerous diseases.

White mice can be tamed, but it is not recommended to feed them fruit.

Yellow-necked mouse

It got its name from the unusual yellow stripe around its neck. It has large ears and a large body—up to 10 cm long. Its fur is brown with a reddish tint, and its tail is covered with very fine, short hairs. This animal lives in southern Europe and Asia, but is sometimes found in Scandinavia and Great Britain. It lives in fields and forests, but comes into human homes in winter. The yellow-headed rodent carries tick-borne encephalitis, but does not suffer from any illnesses itself.

The yellow-necked mouse has a beautiful yellow collar and a white belly.

Mice in the house and garden

White and house mice are the most common pests in human homes, nesting in basements, attics, and between walls and ceilings. They readily chew holes in concrete and roam throughout the building in search of food. These animals pose numerous problems for residents of both private and apartment buildings:

• damage walls, furniture, interior items and supplies;
• carry various dangerous diseases;
• They multiply quickly and die, and since they meet their death deep in basements, the smell of a corpse can linger in the house for a long time.

Steppe and forest mice and small mice are the most common pests in vegetable gardens. They also damage vegetable crops and stored supplies if they enter the house, but they protect against insects.

Remember that mice carry dangerous diseases, so you should be careful with them and not let them into your yard.

How to get rid of mice

If rodents have appeared in your house, do the following:

1. Keep your home clean: at least twice a week, wet-clean all rooms to ensure there's not a speck of dirt anywhere—mice won't like that.
   

   Mice don't like a clean house.

2. Apply a few drops of peppermint essential oil to cotton pads and place them around your home. Change the pads every 5-7 days. The scent is very pungent to rodents and repels them, while relaxing for you.
   

   The smell of mint repels rodents

3. If you know the rodents' routes through your home, install ultrasonic repellents in those areas. These are short-lived, as mice quickly become accustomed to them.
   

   The effect of ultrasonic repellents is short-lived, as rodents get used to them.

4. Keep trash cans as far away from your home as possible. If you have your own trash chute, mice may be a constant presence.
5. Get a cat to catch mice.

If mice have appeared in the garden, the following steps will help:

1. Try to attract birds of prey to your garden: they won't peck at the harvest, but they will destroy all the mice in a short time.
2. Get a rat-catching cat or install ultrasonic repellents, just like you would at home.
3. Place poisoned baits. Do not leave poison where pets can eat it.
4. Place a large bucket or barrel of water and bait in the chicken coop, basement, or cellar.

Rat-catching cats always remain predators, so they will rid you of mice forever.

Preventing the appearance of mice

To ensure that mice never bother your home or garden, keep it clean and tidy.

1. Disinfect the premises, especially where grain is stored, every one to three months.
2. Monitor the condition of the water - dirty water attracts small rodents.
3. Get a cat or another predatory animal that will quickly destroy the impudent mouse if necessary.

Mouse bite

Rodent saliva contains bacteria that can cause the following diseases:

• bubonic plague;
• salmonellosis;
• sodocosis;
• leptospirosis;
• tapeworms;
• typhus;
• lymphocytic Venezuelan encephalomyelitis;
• hantavirus infection;
• tularemia.

They can also be transmitted by touching the fur or feces of a rodent.

Table: Diseases carried by mice

First aid for a bite

It is important to see a doctor immediately. If there is no way to do this quickly, follow these steps:

1. Wash the bite area thoroughly under running water using laundry soap.
   

   After a mouse bite, immediately wash the wound with soapy water.

2. Treat the wound with a disinfectant - hydrogen peroxide, iodine, rubbing alcohol, brilliant green.
   

   The bite site should be disinfected, for example, with hydrogen peroxide.

3. Cover the injured area with a bandage or apply a sterile dressing.

After this, go to the doctor.

Mice are cute creatures, but they can be deadly to humans and other animals. It's not because they spoil food supplies, but because they carry deadly bacteria on their skin, fur, and saliva.