How Often Do Mice Reproduce?

Mice are pesky creatures that can quickly overrun your house if you do not take quick action to get rid of them. While rodents often carry diseases and can cause significant damage throughout your home, the characteristic that makes them most annoying is their reproductive habits. Knowing how quickly mice reproduce is essential for understanding the importance of contacting a professional immediately if you find a rodent in your home. Here's what you need to know about the reproductive habits of mice.

How Often Do Mice Reproduce?

Female mice become sexually mature at just six weeks old. Gestation lasts between 19 and 21 days, and females can get pregnant again immediately after giving birth. This rapid reproduction rate means that having a single pair of mice in your home can spiral into a full-blown infestation within two months, and once the female babies reach maturity, the problem gets even worse.

How Many Babies Do They Have Per Litter?

One litter of pups can consist of up to 14 pups. While small litters of as few as three pups sometimes happen, the average number of babies per litter is eight. Female babies reach maturity less than two months after birth, so if you don't have a plan for mice control, you'll easily be dealing with dozens of mice in just a few months.

How Many Litters Do Mice Have a Year?

Each female mouse can get pregnant again immediately after giving birth. It's possible for a mouse to get pregnant up to ten times a year, and almost all female mice have at least five litters each year. In the wild, most mice only live for a year, so you may only see 10 litters total throughout a female's lifetime. However, mice commonly live for two and even three years if they take up residence inside, so each female is capable of having up to thirty litters during her lifetime. For this reason, you need to contact a professional at the first sign of an infestation. Call for help if you notice:

Strange noises in the wall

Piles of droppings around the house

Gnaw marks on furniture, baseboards or food containers

How Can Their Reproductive Habits Affect Your Home?

The problem with mice is that they reproduce rapidly. Even though having one mouse in your home may not seem like a problem, if it is a pregnant female, you could be dealing with a full-blown infestation within a matter of weeks. Once a family of rodents overruns your home, they can contaminate your food supply, damage furniture and chew on electrical wires to pose a hazard to your home. The best way to keep your home safe from mice is to contact a reputable pest control company such as Truly Nolen as soon as you notice signs of mice in your house. At Truly Nolen Canada, we staff an expert team that can remove mice from every crevice of your home. We are knowledgeable about the habits of mice, and this information better equips us to find every rodent in your home so we can remove them and prevent the problem from happening in the future. We can even offer tips for deterring mice so that you don't have to worry about the rodents returning after we remove them.

Get Help With Mice Control

If you think you have mice living in your home, you need to call an expert for residential pest control immediately. Truly Nolan Canada offers home pest control to help you get rid of rodents quickly and efficiently. Contact us today to schedule an appointment with a mice exterminator.

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How Often Do Mice Reproduce?