Home>> Species Profile>> Mice, Shrews and Voles

There are 3 main types of mice in Eastern Ontario, the House Mouse, Deer Mouse and White Footed Mouse. Meadow Voles and Short Tail Shrews are also found here and are often mistaken for mice. 

All these rodents breed several times a year with the meadow vole being the most prolific at up to 17 times a year. 

The Short-tailed Shrew has a unique characteristic in that it has a poison in it’s saliva to immobilize prey. 

Each of these rodents are known to enter homes and structures and become a nuisance to humans in some way. Mouse problems are mostly associated with the scratching noise made in attic and wall voids. They also chew wires, build nests and tunnel though insulation. Large amounts of rodent dropping can also become a health risk. Hantavirus is the most well know virus affecting humans from the droppings. Mice will chew into human food and store seeds and nuts which will draw other rodents. Bird feeders are one the biggest draws of mice and rodents. 

Although Meadow Voles can be found inside, most of their damage is done outside. They eat roots and stems of flowers. Tunnel through yards and in some occasions gnaw on trees girdling them and killing them.

All these rodents can be controlled through trapping and exclusion. These rodents will enter high and low on a home. Exclusion works to more permanently solve the problem. Trapping should be done with exclusion to eliminate the problems animals inside and out. With the freeze thaw cycles in our area, preventative trapping should also be done. Trapping the rodents before they find a new hole, and to know if anything has gotten inside.

Meadow Vole