Deer Mouse Identification and Control In Utah

Deer mice get their name from their coloring similar to the white-tailed deer. They have a brown to gray colored body with a white belly and furry tail.

They are 6 inches long including their tail which and overall are slightly larger than a house mouse.

Deer mice are known carriers of a rare, but potentially fatal lung disease called Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS). This is found in the mouse feces and urine.

HPS can be aerosolized when their habitats are disturbed such as cleaning out a storage shed, when in a barn or attic and similar areas. Caution is advised when around deer mice harborages.

Deer mice breed in the spring and fall. Females will produce between two and four litters a year and most litters average about four pups. They can live up to two years in the wild.

They do not hibernate and are active all year long. When colder weather emerges some mice will find harborage in nearby garages, crawl spaces, attics and even living rooms or kitchens in your home.

When deer mice invade buildings, they commonly carry in caches of seeds and nuts. They will store this food in wall voids, furniture, dressers, cabinets or any other nook and cranny they can find.

Deer mice are most active at night with feeding peaks at dawn and dusk. They also tend to leap rather than run.