House mouse

House mice spread viruses (Hantavirus, Arenavirus), bacteria (e.g. leptospirosis, tularemia, salmonellosis) and protozoa (Toxoplasma gondii) that are dangerous for humans.
They are parasitised by flatworms and roundworms that are dangerous to humans.
Allergens excreted in the urine of mice cause not only allergic reactions but also an increased incidence of asthma.
House mice chew on books, clothes, household items and furniture. They also damage insulation materials and can chew holes in wooden floors and doors. They destroy and contaminate food and the raw materials used to produce it.

These are animals living in families, i.e. they are social animals. The family marks the boundaries of the territory with urine. They vary in size, but mice rarely stray more than 2 m from their nest if there is enough food.
In spring, usually in the second half of April and May, most of the mice population in buildings migrate to fields up to 500 m away. They return to the buildings in September-October, when the harvest from the fields is brought back to the storages.
In urban areas, they live in buildings all year round if there is enough food and water, especially if there are no parks, shrubs or other places nearby where food should be available. When food is scarce, families of mice migrate to neighbouring buildings.
They nest in dark, quiet places with enough nesting material within 2 m. They use paper, various product packaging, wall or ceiling insulation materials, and fabrics to build their nests. They usually live on ground floors and basements: food warehouses, elevators, wooden buildings, food processing plants and shops.
They breed most intensively in June ⎯ August. The average annual growth rate is approximately 45 individuals. Normal life expectancy ⎯ 1.5 years.
The senses of smell, taste, hearing and touch are best developed.
Although mice are not as timid as rats, they react quickly to any movement and try to hide as quickly as possible. Mice living in buildings adapt to the rhythm of human life: They react most intensely to the noise and vibrations caused by people moving around, and emerge from their hideouts when it is quiet.
They are excellent in climbing pipes, electrical wires, curtains, power and ventilation ducts – all horizontal and vertical rough surfaces.
They jump up to 30 cm from the ground and about 60 cm horizontally. Mice can easily jump from a height of 2.5 m without harming themselves, if necessary. They penetrate holes with a diameter of at least 1.2 cm and cracks and crevices with a width or height of at least 0.6 cm.
Although they feed mainly on cereals and grass seeds, they are actually omnivores: Mice that live in the fields in summer supplement their diet with a variety of bugs and caterpillars. A house mouse needs about 3 g of dry food and about 1.5 ml of water per day. Unlike rats, mice do not need a separate water source if the food they eat is watery (e.g. fruit and vegetables). However, they are more likely to breed in areas where water is available.
Domestic mice, like grey rats, accumulate food reserves. Over 6 months, a pair of house mice eats about 1.8 kg of food, and excrete about 350 ml of urine and about 18,000 faecal pellets.
The most tempting foods: cereals and grass seeds, dried and fresh fruit, bread. They eat smoked bacon, cheese, cottage cheese and sour cream.