Even here in Florida, winter does eventually roll around. With the drop in temperatures comes an increase in rodent activity in residential areas and around businesses. Like us, mice are just trying to stay warm, and the colder weather outside does not permit them to breed as they wish. Mice look to our homes for shelter, warmth, and breeding sites to continue their rapid proliferation through the winter. If you’re looking to learn more about mouse breeding habits and what you can do to prevent them from taking over your home, read on for advice from the Florida Pest Control technicians!
How Quickly Can Mice Reproduce?
Rodents can turn around new generations much faster than many kinds of animals in Florida, and mice are perhaps the best example of this. We’ve laid out some information about mice breeding habits that should tell you something about how serious an infestation can become:
- Female mice can produce up to 10 litters per year and up to 14 pups per litter. With these being extreme examples, the average amount of pups produced by one mother mouse in a year usually sits between 35 and 55.
- Mother mice have a 25 day gestation period and can mate again right after delivering a litter.
- Newborn mice are able to breed after just 4-6 weeks of life.
With a little math, you can see these numbers mean that a small mouse infestation can very quickly become an outbreak of hundreds.
How to Stop Mice from Breeding Indoors
It should come as no surprise that the best way to prevent mice from breeding inside your home is to keep them out in the first place. We know that this can be quite difficult, especially in the winter, so we asked our technicians for advice to give to people both who are looking to get preventative and who are already struggling with mouse problems. Here’s what they said:
- Keeping mice outside: The best way to keep mice out is to look all around your home for entry points and close them off with a silicone-based caulk or steel wool. These could be gaps in walls, cracks in foundation, broken roof tiling, and more. You can also perform regular yard maintenance and seal your garbage bins to avoid attracting mice with hiding places and food.
- Getting mice out: Spraying diluted apple cider vinegar or peppermint oil around infested areas has proven successful for some Florida residents. Kitty litter and fabric softener sheets have also worked for some, but we recommend that you consider these as supplemental treatments for use in specific hotspots. If you plan on using mousetraps, make sure you consult a local rodent exterminator for advice on the best trap for your home.
Expert Mice Extermination in Florida
If your DIY mouse control plans aren’t coming to fruition, ask your local pest control company for help. Our Florida Pest Control technicians are trained to look in the places you wouldn’t think to to locate mouse-attracting vulnerabilities, pest access points, droppings and nests, and more, using industry-leading technology and strategies to remove every last mouse from your home. For a free quote or to learn more, contact us today!
