House mice can vary in colors from light brown to gray. Their bellies are always a lighter shade of fur, however, and their ears and tail are bare. As an adult, a house mouse can range from 7.5 to 10 cm and weigh anywhere from 12 to 30 grams. House mice are always on the hunt for shelter, food and water sources. They typically have a preference for seeds, but will eat anything they can get their paws on in your kitchen. Even if you close your bag of chips, they can chew a hole in it so you want to try your best to leave snacks in hard to reach areas.

Anything a mouse touches can become contaminated because they often travel in sewers and trash cans before making their way into homes. These rodents try their best to stay hidden, typically roaming around inside the walls or vents where they won’t run into you or your pets. However this doesn’t mean that they won’t scavenge outside of these areas on occasion. House mice are extremely fast on their feet and rather diligent when it comes to mouse traps. They are most commonly found during the winter months when it’s too cold to be outside.

Rodent infestations can be horrifying for any homeowner. They are difficult to get rid of and, even when you do, they may have already done significant damage. Outside, try searching your yard and along the exterior walls of your home for signs of rodent activity. Inside, listen for any small scratching or scurrying noises; remnants of wood, fabric or plastic that have been chewed; and even rodent droppings. These droppings are tiny black pellets and can be found anywhere in your home – but take caution in cleaning them up as they can carry diseases.

The best way to find out whether or not there are any mice or rats around your house, however, is to place rodent traps near places where you think they might be active. Set up several of them so that you can properly know the extent of the risk of rodent infestation.