Deer Mice on My Phoenix Property: Is This Dangerous?

As some of the most common pests in the world, rats and mice can be found in residential properties and commercial businesses around the globe. For property owners in Phoenix, the deer mouse takes a particularly high level of our attention and energy. These small pests may not be much larger than 3 inches in size, excluding their tails, but they can surely make their presence known.

Today, we are going to explore the realities of deer mice in Phoenix, their potential dangers, and what homeowners can do to keep these pests away from their property.

Deer Mice 101

While it might be easy to say that a mouse is just a mouse, deer mice have unique identifiers that can make them easier to spot in the wild, or on your Phoenix property. To best prepare for these potential pests, let’s take a moment to learn more about them.

Physical Characteristics

Never has such a tiny furry package created such a large fuss. The sight of a mouse scurrying across the kitchen floor may send a shiver up your spine, but what is the cause of this fear?

Deer Mice are roughly 7 to 10 centimeters long, not including their tails. With pointed heads and large black eyes, it is easy to see why these little creatures cause such a stir when they go running by in the night. Typically brownish-red with white streaks on their feet and underbelly, deer mice are easy to miss because they blend into Arizona’s environment beautifully.

The average deer mouse can live for up to eight years in captivity, while that number is dramatically reduced in the wild. Deer mice reach sexual maturity in just under two months, producing up to four liters a year, typically concentrating on the warmer months.

Common Behaviors

Deer Mice are most commonly found throughout properties in rural areas, though that does not secure city dwellers from potential issues. Deer mice are most commonly active at night as they forage for insects, nuts, berries, and even seeds. Within homes, deer mice are exceptional at hunting out pantries and finding food hidden or forgotten about.

While deer mice are often associated with rural and wooded areas, the winterly season brings their ventures toward cities. As these pests prefer spaces where food and warmth can be found aplenty, you’ll have to keep an eye on your home when the temperatures begin to drop.

Deer mice looking to infest a new home will often target the following spaces as their entrance.

• Attics
• Crawl Spaces
• Sheds
• Basements
• Garages

Thanks to their tiny bodies, deer mice are capable of getting anywhere inside of a property. From hiding behind appliances to digging into walls, it might be impossible to see where your deer mouse infestation is originating from, at least without a little help from the professionals. As natural climbers, deer mice have shown the tendency to climb buildings while looking for entry points atop the roof. As a result of this behavioral tick, many deer mice infestations are tracked to the upper floors of a property.

Deer Mice Dangers

While ostensibly fuzzy little creatures, deer mice are more problematic than they might appear. As true rodents, deer mice can bring many potential hazards into the home of an unwary property owner. While your first instinct might be to run (or pet) a deer mouse, you might be better served to keep your distance and calling pest control.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the known dangers that deer mice can bring into a home.

• Unsanitary Conditions – Despite their truly tiny size, deer mice can bring massive amounts of droppings and waste into a home. From leaving droppings to tearing up the interior of your home with makeshift nests, deer mice have a habit of leaving a trail wherever they find themselves a home. These unsanitary conditions can translate into medical emergencies if left unattended.
• Potential Diseases – Did you know that deer mice are a known vector for hantavirus pulmonary syndrome? This scary-sounding name is actually a threat to humans as it can be transmitted through air particles. Simply breathing in the particle emissions from deer mouse droppings can lead to a hantavirus diagnosis! Additionally, deer mice can spread salmonellosis and Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome.
• Property Damage – You might not believe it, but those tiny teeth can do a number on your home. Deer mice are prolific hewers and they’ll spend plenty of time working their way through your walls, wires, and pantry if you let them.  Deer mice like to build the messiest of nests wherever they can find a good and comfortable spot, even if it is inside of your couch or beneath your mattress. These nests bring with them new pest dangers and potential threats.

While you won’t lose your life to a deer mouse bite, they still pose enough credible threats that their presence should not be ignored. Deer mice don’t have to be the largest issue in the world to do demonstrable damage to your Phoenix property.

If you want to prevent a deer mice infestation in your Phoenix property, consider using a few of the following tips.

Preventing Deer Mice Infestations

The best way to tackle an infestation is to prevent one from happening altogether. While these tips will have varying levels of effect, they combine to make for a comprehensive preventative strategy.

Seal / Patch Holes – Take some time to go over your home, paying particular attention to any holes in your property. Deer mice are notoriously flexible as they can pass through holes as small as a dime.

De-clutter Lawn – Keep your yard in great shape and you’ll have a much better time staving off deer mouse infestations. De-weed and keep your grass mowed to make the entire property less attractive to potential deer mouse infestations. You’ll want to pay attention to any additional clutter that might make its way into your yard.

Seal Away Food – Pantries are the perfect landing spot for deer mice. Keep your pantries cleaned and sealed away from invasion by paying close attention to your food containers. Keep these areas tidy and free from any food waste on the ground. Keep all of your food inaccessible.

Protect Your Garbage – A good habit to get into, consider sealing your trash bins when they are filled with waste. Not only will you prevent deer mice from gaining access to your trash, you’ll also keep away other rodents and pests that love to call Phoenix their home.

Assess Your Storage – In the same way that spiders love to call old cardboard boxes in your basement a home, deer mice love to inhabit cluttered storage spaces. Take some time to assess your garage, attic, basement, and crawlspace. While doing so, make a point to tidy them up while patching and sealing away any possible entrances for pests to take advantage of.

While prevention is the number one key to success when it comes to pest control, that isn’t always the path that nature allows us to take. If you suspect that you have a deer mouse problem that needs to be tended to, the team at Buzz Tech Pest Control can lend a helping hand.

Contact Buzz Tech Pest Control, Today!

Buzz Tech Pest Control is proud to serve the entire Valley with same-day service. Licensed and insured, the talented team at Buzz Tech Pest Control is available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week to help protect you and your family.

Buzz Tech Pest Control offers many winning benefits to clients throughout Phoenix and the surrounding areas, including the following.

• Free Inspections
• Fastest Response Guaranteed
• Emergency Services

Family-owned and operated, Buzz Tech has more than two decades of combined rodent control experience, having completed over 3,000 rodent exterminations along the way.