It’s usually easy to find the telltale signs that you have an unwanted mouse living in your home. Discovering nibbled food boxes and unsightly droppings is usually a good hint. However, actually seeing the responsible rodent is another challenge altogether. Given their lower position in the food chain, mice have become very adept at staying out of sight when danger is present or possible. By understanding how and when they operate, you stand a better chance of ridding yourself of this tiny menace.
Are Mice Nocturnal?
Or are they just mischievous? The answer might be both but mice are considered nocturnal creatures. In fact, they are referred to as both nocturnal and crepuscular.
However, when they actually sleep is dependent on the environment they are in. Mice tend to be more active when they will be in the least amount of danger.
Does light affect the behavior of mice?
For mice not living in your home, they will tend to be the most active around the hours of dusk and dawn. This is when there are lower levels of light which offers them the best protection from their natural predators. So mice are not necessarily afraid of the light. They are more concerned with the fact that they can be seen by predators in the light. It is part of their natural defense mechanisms.
Do they avoid light?
A mouse that has taken up residence in your home tends to be the most active at night as this when you and your family are sleeping.They will associate the combination of light and noise inside your home as a time of danger. So while the light is a factor in mice activity, it has more to do with the danger it represents as opposed to the light itself. This is why you seem to wake up to evidence of their existence as opposed to seeing them in your house.
Factors that influence mouse activity include:
- The amount of light in a given area – they prefer lower light.
- The presence of potential danger – they prefer to forage when they feel safe.
- When access to food is available – they will forage where and when you leave food accessible.
Mice and Vision: Can they see at night?
Whether or not they can see in the dark may be an irrelevant fact as mice tend to have very poor eyesight. However, they are also very sensitive to bright lights making it more comfortable for them to operate in low lighting conditions. All the more reason why the early morning and early evening hours are optimal foraging times for mice.
Mice Use All Their Senses
Here are the ways that mice use their other senses to navigate your home at night:
- Touch – Mice use their sense of touch to feel their way around, making it easier for them to navigate your home even in the dark. They will use their whiskers to feel their way along different surfaces. They can also sense changes in the air with their whiskers.
- Smell – Mice tend to operate no more than 25 feet from their home base within your house and they will mark their territory with their urine. They will routinely check where they have marked to make sure that it hasn’t been disturbed. This is why your traps may not work even if you place it where they tend to forage.
- Sound – Mice also have excellent hearing, which they can rely on to sense the presence of you and any other potential household predators. If you were ever wondering “Why do mice squeak”, those big ears are your biggest clue. Mice use both audible squeaks and ultrasonic sounds to communicate with each other.
When do mice sleep?
Mice that take up residence in your home will tend to sleep during the day. They can sleep for up to 12 hours on any given day. This means that you will have the best chance to catch them at night when they are foraging for food. Be sure to check any traps that you set first thing in the morning.
Where do mice sleep? Mice will typically seek to maintain a small territory within your home. They will then venture out to mark a territory from that base camp. They will also make a cozy nest to sleep in. This hidden sleeping space is usually made of materials that they find around our home.
They enjoy borrowing stuffing from pillows, blankets, and stuffed animals to pad their nest. They can also use their teeth to shred different materials to make it an appropriate size for their nest.
They especially enjoy cluttered areas that offer lots of material and space to build this nest. Piles of junk mail or cardboard boxes make the perfect hideaway for your unwanted guests. So, where do mice hide? Click this to know.
Do they sleep alone? Unfortunately not. Mice are very social animals and breed very quickly. If a suspected mice infestation is not treated properly, then your problem can grow quickly out of hand.
Understanding the sleeping and foraging habits of this destructive little rodent is the key to catching them and permanently ridding them from your home. Understanding how and where they operate can also give you clues as to how many nests you are dealing with. You can then use this knowledge to take the most effective approach to reclaiming your home.
