If You See One Mouse in your House, How Many Others Might Be Hiding [Investigation Report]

Did you just spot a mouse diving across the cupboard, the frame, the curtain, or the shelves? Don’t get yourself worked up because many others, just like you, face this daily all over the world. 

It even resulted in the famous question, “If you see one mouse, how many do you have?” It’s a common question with an inconclusive answer, and this article looks to answer the question.

If you see one mouse how many do you have? The answer is 7 mice because a mother mouse produces an average of 8 babies per litter.

We all know mice to be destructive creatures. It’s either you lose your valuable document or have your food infected, which can be detrimental to the health.

Let’s find out the possible number of mice that could be infesting the house after finding just one in the building. Once we’re confident, you may then proceed to employ measures that get rid of them.

First, are you sure it’s a mouse and not a rat? In case you’re not so sure, let’s find out what a typical mouse looks like.

Is It a Mouse or a Rat?

It is a mouse if it sports a pointed muzzle, light-grey or brown body, lighter-colored belly (often milk-colored), sharp nose, large ears, and a long tail that is usually scaly and hairless. Furthermore, you should thoroughly inspect the spot where you sighted the rodent. If you find tiny droppings that are about a quarter-inch long and pointed on both ends, it’s a mouse because rat droppings are twice larger.

If You See One Mouse How Many Do You Have?

The answer differs, and it’s a two-way answer. The trick to knowing how many mice are in the house is to inspect every nook and cranny of the house. If you find many droppings, you have a family of mice lurking around. If you don’t, it is possible that just one mouse scrambled its way unknowingly into the apartment last night because they are nocturnal rodents. Thus, you have only one rodent.

Since you found several droppings, it means that the mouse has been there for a while. Moreover, mice are very good at hiding and seek. If you find one mouse, you either have one mouse or over seven mice in the house. The reason why you have over seven mice is that mother mouse can easily give birth to an average of 8 babies, i.e., mother mouse births at least three babies and up to 13 babies in one liter in rare cases.

What are the Odds of Only Having One Mouse

The odds of having one mouse is 82/18. Honestly, the chances that only one mouse breeds in the house are slim. It is even worse if the mouse sighted is female because a female mouse has a gestation period of about 20 days, which means it can take a liter up to 10 times in one year. Assuming a mouse has lived up to a year in the apartment, it is correct to conclude that over 45 grown mice were bred in the house. You may not have seen them because about a half or even more of the mice migrated to a new environment by chance.

How Long Has the Mouse Been in My House?

A mouse has been around as long the number of droppings you find in the house. You can’t tell the exact amount of days or months. We could be taking years here since mice only move around at night, being that they are nocturnal. They barely squeak by the day and are afraid of bright light. It is possible also possible that the mouse you sighted has just entered the house and probably looking for a way to adapt to the new environment. Understand that mice have poor visions and use the corners of the wall to make movements. If you have a crack around, it scrambled unknowingly through the break that day or night.

How Long Can a Mouse Stay in Your House

Mice love dark and relatively cold and narrow places. As long as your house offers them this comfort coupled with some tasty crumbs, they’ll remain there until death. However, if, while scrambling for food during the night, a mouse unknowingly steps outside, you’re lucky it’s gone. But, if it is such a mouse that knows a lot about the house, it’ll get back in through the same crack. In case nobody informed you, note now that mice are nearly as smart as dogs.

Can One Mouse Make a Nest?

Yes, one mouse can make a nest, and it isn’t healthy for the house. Mice multiply rapidly and can become hundreds within a few months. Don’t let that one mouse go scot-free, else; it’ll invite others and turn the house into a mouse nest.

Does One Mouse Mean an Infestation?

One mouse does not mean infestation per se. However, the presence of a male and female mouse is capable of beginning an Infestation. Gestation takes about 20 days in the life of a mouse. When a mouse gives birth, young mice will require just 4 – 7 weeks to become sexually mature. At this point, they mate and breed more into the family within one month. You can now see that infestation grows even faster as the number of baby mouse increase.

How Long Does It Take a Mouse to Breed?

It takes between 19 – 21 days for a mouse to breed after becoming pregnant. Each liter could see the mouse give birth to several babies. Within two months, baby mice are sexually mature to mate and keep reproduction alive. Moreover, mother mice can use liter up to 10 times in a year when mating results in pregnancy.

How Many Mice Can a Mouse Give Birth to?

A mouse can give birth to 8 babies on average. On rare occasions, the number of babies can be 13. This speeds up the reproduction process, thus, resulting in several mice. If one mouse can deliver up to 6 liters in one year, imagine six different liters from 10 different mice in that same year. This will result in hundreds of mice struggling for survival.

How Long Do Mice Live?

It can live up to 3 years on average. However, if taken in as a pet, the average number of years is 6. So, if you have a mouse in the house, expect it to live for more than a year and reproduce or liter around.

Can a Mouse Live without Food

A mouse can only live without food for four days. If you’re willing to starve it of food crumbs and other pieces of chunks, it’ll be forced to move away or die in its nest. This is not always the case because your kitchen still has something to offer.

What Should I Do if I See a Mouse

If you have a mouse in your house, you have to employ measures to exterminate them. They are not only destructive but disease-carrying rodents. Some of the diseases carried by mice include the hantavirus and salmonella. Also, a mouse can nest anywhere in the house.

Do the following to exterminate a mouse before it becomes an Infestation of there isn’t an Infestation yet.

• Set a mousetrap where you find mouse droppings or use mouse poison to attract them
• Get rid of them naturally
• Don’t keep dirty dishes.
• Inspect and seal all cracks.
• Don’t leave doors open at night.
• Hire rodent exterminators.
• Clear old furniture.
• Don’t leave any area of the house abandoned for too long.

An Illustration of How a Mouse Breeds Mice Your House

First Month

Day 1

One Female mouse

Day 2

The invitation of another mouse, most likely opposite sex.

Day 3

Possible mating (mice are interested in quick reproduction).

Day 4 – 10

A continuous night rampaging of the house. Along with one of these days, the mother rat becomes pregnant, and gestation begins.

Day 11 – 30

The first liter takes place in your house, and about seven babies are made.

Day 31

This is the day you spot a rat by chance on its way to gather feeds for the family. You have to thoroughly access the spot and other rooms as well because the nesting may not be there.

Second Month

The growth of the babies may extend to the second week of the third month when the babies attain maturity.

Third Month

Young mice mate another line of production begins. Some may have possibly migrated away from your house at this point.

Basically, at the sight of a mouse, it is either there is just that mouse or a family of mice lurking around. You are making it easier by thoroughly inspecting the spot for droppings and any other mouse trace. During midnight, use a dim light and make yourself present in the portions of the building you most suspect. Listen carefully for squeaks and quick movements. Whether or not you trace the presence of other mice, you are already housing a rodent that can easily cause an infestation within a few weeks.