How to Get Rid of Mice & Voles in Gloucester County, NJ Homes; House, Deer, White Footed Mouse & More

There are several rodents that invade homes all year long. The smaller rodents such as mice and voles are some of the more frequent residential visitors. Ross Environmental Solutions wants to help you identify the common mice and voles that are found in homes and commercial buildings and how you can better prevent and control a rodent invasion.

Rodent Identification Guide of Common Species of Mice & Voles

House Mouse – The common house mouse is one of the most common mouse species found in commercial and residential structures. They have short gray or brown fur and their underbelly is lighter than the rest of the fur. They have small eyes with a pair of larger, hairless ears. The house mouse’s body is about 2 inches long, not including their tail. Their tails are longer than the rest of their body and are also nearly hairless. The house mouse can live outdoors and when they do, they will burrow holes into the ground for protection. However, they prefer human structures and will aggressively invade homes. Man made structures provide warmth, food, and water. When a house mouse invades they will typically keep their nest within ten feet of a food source. They will leave behind droppings and contaminated food around the indoor living environment. House mice are known to carry salmonella pathogens that can poison food.
Deer Mouse – Deer mice, also known as the field mice, are a slightly bigger sized mouse, especially compared to the house mouse. The deer mouse is about three inches long–again, not including the tail. The deer mouse survives outside due to their coat color. Their brown coat helps them blend into their environments. Their fur is short brown with a white underside. They have a long tail that matches the rest of their fur coat. The deer mouse has big bulging eyes, with big set of ears as well. Deer mice are foragers that collect berries, and grain found outdoors. They like to live in-between rocks and boulders. However they will still invade homes and other facilities if food is scarce. Deer mice carry Lyme disease and Hantavirus that are spread by deer ticks.
White Footed Mouse – The white footed mouse, sometimes known as the wood mouse, is known for its white feet and light brown fur coat. The white footed mouse has a white under belly and a large pair of eyes and ears. They are about three inches long with a short tail which is only half the length of their body. The white footed mice are good swimmers and live in marshes where they burrow into the ground when making their nests. White footed mice aren’t the most invasive mice species and are typically found foraging around homes to take food back to their nest. Like deer mice, the white footed mouse can carry Lyme disease that is spread by deer ticks, and Hantavirus.
Voles – A vole is a lawn and garden damaging rodent. This rodent is like a cross between a mole and a mouse. They prefer to live underground much like a mole and feed on the root systems of plants. They can grow anywhere from two to three inches long with short, brown fur and a white under belly. Because they prefer to live underground, they also have a small pair of ears and eyes with a short stubby furry tail.

Mice & Vole Extermination

These are the common mice and vole species found in New Jersey. If you’re having an invasion of these little pests, contact Ross Environmental Solutions today!