Mice and rats are the two most common rodents to make their home in yours. They love to move into houses during this time of year where they can find a warm, dark, quiet place to live and have their families. Just one or two of these little creatures can bring havoc to your home. They nibble and chew through paper, fabric, insulation, and even wood. Check out our recent blog post about the damage they cause and what to do about it! And that’s not all - wait until they begin to multiply!
The Life Cycle of a Mouse
The average lifespan of a mouse is only about one year outdoors, but this number can become two to three years indoors because they are not exposed to natural predators or harsh environments.
When mice are born, they are born blind and hairless. Since they are weak and can’t see, the mother mouse takes care of them for 21 days. They grow fast. In fact, tears are completely developed on the 4th day, their hair starts to grow around the 6th day, and they have a coat of fur on the 10th day.
Their eyes will not open until around the 13th or 14th day. After that, the pups are nearly fully-grown adults. Weaning happens on the 21st day.
Many young female pups stay in their mother’s territory for a while, but most males leave. Nursing is over for both males and females and they are ready to begin chewing through various items and food.
Once mice are about two months old, they can begin to reproduce. They will carry their young for three weeks and can have as many as 10 to 14 in one pregnancy, though five to eight are more common.
Mice can have up to 10 litters in her lifetime – that is 100 babies or more!
The Life Cycle of a Rat
The roof rat and the Norway rat are the most common species of rats that can be seen in our area. Rats live a little longer than mice, as they can live up to three years. Most species live in nests composed of several females, the young rats, and an alpha or dominant male. The alpha male will prevent other male rats from mating with the females in his nest. He also protects the family. A lot of families have several nest sites. They move between these nests depending upon the availability of water and food sources.
Nest sites can be found at a low or high elevation, depending on the species of rat. For instance, roof rats live in crawl spaces, shrubbery, trees, or attics.
Young rats don’t have fur and are blind, just like mice. They are weaned about three weeks later and are ready to reproduce at three months-old because they’re already considered mature. They mate near their birthplace but will move to a new site if the place is crowded.
The gestation period for most species of rats is around three weeks. A female rat usually gives birth to 6 to 10 babies at a time. However, they can have up to twice that number. They usually have around five litters per year, which adds up to 35 potential new baby rats per year for each female.
Break the Cycle!
Both mice and rats can reproduce all year if their environments are stable with the proper amount of food, water and shelter. If the conditions are not favorable, they will limit their reproduction to spring and fall. When you think about how many females are in each litter that will also reproduce in a few short weeks. You could end up with hundreds of these rodents in your home.
Let those mice and rats start chewing in your home and potentially spreading disease, and you have a real problem that is tough to eliminate. If you see just one mouse or rat or evidence of their presence, you need to take action quickly! Read this blog about rodent control and prevention and contact a reputable pest management company like Sentry Pest Control to get rid of them.
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