The main mouse specie in Ireland is the house mouse. They are common in all rural, semi-urban and urban areas. They nest in ceilings/wall voids, behind equipment and within stored commodities.
Mice breed continuously and can start breeding at 1-2 months. They can produce litters of between 4-8 young and can have as many as 12 litters in 1 year.
All a rodent needs to survive is food, water and shelter. They will start within a familiar range – home range and therefore its important to prevent the ingress of rodents in your premise.
To prevent rodents entering your home it is recommended that:
- Food waste be stored in tightly sealed bins, both inside and outside your premise.
- Do not leave food for birds and pets where rodents can access it.
- Garden compost heaps should not contain anything that may attract rodents.
- Keep the surroundings of your dwelling clean
To minimize rodents entering you premise:
- Seal around all pipes including waste pipes, washing machines, tumble dryers etc.
- Seal all openings around cables and central heating pipes.
- Gaps at the bottom of external doors.
- Look for gaps around facias and tie back loose cables along walls.
