Mouse Habitat – Humane Wildlife Removal

Do more mice live in wild or urban areas?

Are urban and wild mice different types of mice?

Urban mice and wild mice are often thought of very differently, wild or ‘Woodland’ mice are seen as small and cute delicate animals while urban mice are often seen as pests. Urban mice are seen as pests because they are associated with carrying illness and bacteria, as well as damaging property and equipment.

Many people feel that mice belong in the wild and that this is their natural habitat, in older times this would have indeed been the case. However, since industrialization, mice have tended to instead live in urban areas and are now considered ‘urban wildlife’.

This means that mice have learned how to exist alongside humans in largely urban areas and humans actually enable and support the needs of mice.

Why do mice prefer urban areas?

Mice are able to live well alongside humans as they can easily find food in urban areas due to the volume of restaurants and fast food places, where they can easily find food and also scavenge in bins and dumpsters. Mice are omnivorous (meaning that they eat meat and plants) and so are easily adapted to urban areas where there is mass-produced fast food, which is even more appealing as mice are drawn to salty scents and foods.

Mice are also able to remain hydrated because there are plenty of local water sources available such as puddles, buckets, dumpsters, etc. which will accumulate water with heavy rainfall as well as naturally occurring lakes and rivers.

Mice can also easily nest in urban homes once they gain entry which is not hard to do as they have flexible ribs and can easily get into small spaces and holes that often cannot be covered or blocked off such as spaces under doorways or on the roof. Once inside mice can make themselves very comfortable. Mice can also nest in urban alleys that are dark and provide them cover and access to local shops for food and water as they are nocturnal.

Why are mice bad to have in urban areas?

While mice can reap a great benefit from urban living, the humans they live alongside are often not as pleased with the volume of mice in their local area. Mice are known for carrying harmful bacteria, especially as they choose to frequent alleys and bins. If a mouse chooses to nest in your home, it can introduce harmful bacteria into your household which can make you unwell.

Mice can also damage items and equipment inside your home. Often the first signs of mice inside your home are chewed and frayed wires which can be both dangerous and expensive to replace.

As you can see, mice clearly prefer to live in urban areas. As long as there are dark alleys, ample food sources, and trash, there will be mice in urban areas.