If you see a mouse scurry across your kitchen floor, they are probably searching for food. One mouse in the open could mean dozens or hundreds, and more could be on your walls or floors. Many of those are babies whose mother is trying to feed them. Because mice have a short pregnancy, a few can grow to a full-blown infestation in weeks. In the meantime, they are raiding your food to stay alive. But what do baby mice eat? Keep reading to learn everything you need to know…
How Many Babies Do Mice Reproduce?
A female mouse can begin reproducing after about ten weeks of life. They are only pregnant for three weeks before giving birth to a litter of about six pups. The adult can become pregnant again almost immediately. She could have as many as 35 baby mice in a year.
What Do Baby Mice Look Like?
Baby mice do not have much resemblance to the rodents they become later. They have no ears or hair, and they are born blind. Being underdeveloped and helpless, they rely on their mother for a few weeks until they look like adult mice and are strong enough to gather food for themselves.
What Do Baby Mice Eat?
Baby mice feed exclusively on their mother’s milk for a few weeks, and then they will leave the nest and begin foraging for food on their own. Baby mice will eat anything they can find but love dry foods such as seeds and nuts.
What to Do if You Find Baby Mice
If you see a baby mouse running across your floor, you may not think much of it. People in rural areas or old homes sometimes think it comes with the territory. A mouse sighting is usually a symptom of a larger problem, and you could be dealing with an infestation.
- If you can locate the nest and remove it, they may relocate outdoors.
- While mouse poison seems like a good solution, it only leads to the fact you now have mice dying and decomposing inside your walls.
- Traps can work to thin out the infestation, but it will only be possible to catch so many mice using snap or sticky traps.
- Your best choice would be to call in the help of a professional.
At Stampede Pest Control, we use a hybrid approach that removes existing mice and keeps mice from invading your home in the future. For a free quote on rodent control, reach out to us today.
How to Prevent Baby Mice From Coming Back
After exterminating an infestation, there are steps to keep them from returning. Keeping food in containers that are not easy for them to chew into can reduce their food source. Also, only leave food leftovers out for a short time before putting them into containers. Mice have a keen sense of smell and can feast on a few spilled crumbs and morsels.
Having a professional pest control technician from Stampede conduct an inspection will show you areas of the house where you may be vulnerable. They can show you these areas of your home where mice frequently gain entrance and use exclusion to prevent them from entering. Areas where mice are likely to enter include:
- Cracks in your foundation
- Torn screens on windows and doors
- Unsealed pipes
- Gaps in home siding
If you need help with a mouse infestation, call on our master team of specialists at Stampede Pest Control. With over a decade in the business, we guarantee results on all of our services!