Specimen 16 · Mus musculus

Updated October 16, 2026

Kansas pesticide business license #3403

Mice in Wichita homes

Q: How do I know it's mice?

Droppings: Donnie says it's what people notice first: in a desk drawer at work, in the candy bag, in the dog food. Mouse droppings are 1/8 to 1/4 inch, pointed at one or both ends. Rat droppings are bigger, 1/2 to 3/4 inch, and blunt. Gnaw marks and tracks: Fresh gnaw marks and tracks show where mice are active (MF1123). Their teeth leave distinct marks (CDC). Nests, sounds and smell: Nests of shredded paper in sheltered spots, gnawing or squeaking in the walls or ceiling, and a musky, ammonia-like smell. The mouse itself: Sometimes people see one. An adult is 5½ to 7½ inches with the tail, and it's mostly out at night.

Q: Why are mice so hard to keep out?

A quarter inch: They squeeze through openings a little over 1/4 inch wide. Fast breeders: A female can have 5 to 10 litters a year, 5 or 6 young each. Range: A mouse covers only about 10 to 30 feet and prefers to stay close to its food. Don't count on the cat or dog to keep them away.

Q: Where do mice get in, and where should I look?

Foundation cracks. Around pipes, vents and utility lines: The gap left around a pipe where it passes through the wall. Doors, windows and screens: Gaps under doors and around windows and screens that don't fit tightly. Look in the attic and under slabs: K-State says to look for signs of mice in attics, suspended ceilings and below concrete slabs too.

Q: What can I do about mice myself?

Put food away. Keep it in sealed containers, and clean up spills quickly. Set snap traps along the walls. Trapping is K-State's pick for a few mice in a house. Behind things and in dark corners, next to the wall, no more than 6 to 8 feet apart. Any poison bait goes in a bait station, out of reach of children and pets. Seal the gaps. Steel or copper wool plugs a gap temporarily. For good, use metal or concrete: mice chew through foam, plastic, rubber and wood. Fit doors, windows and screens tightly, and keep them shut. Clean up safely. Don't sweep or vacuum droppings, urine or nests. (a) Open the doors and windows for 30 minutes first. (b) Wearing rubber gloves, mix 1½ cups of household bleach into 1 gallon of water. Or use 1 part bleach to 9 parts water. (c) Soak the droppings, urine and nests for 5 minutes, or as the product label says. (d) Wipe up with paper towels, bag any nest, and put it all in a covered trash can. (e) Mop the spot with disinfectant, then wash your hands. Then: Take care of the rest. Mice are probably one of Donnie's top five calls. General pest control is a visit of traps and spray, inside and out. Mouse work is usually part of it.

UC IPM says mice frequently enter homes in autumn, when nighttime temperatures become colder. Mice are about 85% of Donnie's winter work.

Text Donnie Call Donnie

Opens your messages. Donnie replies the same day, Mon–Fri 8–5.

His winter work

About 85% mice

Gets in through

A gap over 1/4 inch

Price

$125–165 a visit

House mouse illustration, top view, with large round ears, small dark eyes, a lighter belly at the sides and a long, thin, nearly bare tail curled beside the body. — **No. 16 · House mouse**About half an ounce.

Facts from Donnie, K-State Research and Extension, the CDC, UC IPM, the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, the University of Missouri and the National Park Service

How do I know it's mice?

4checks

Droppings · Gnawing · Nests · The mouse

Droppings
Donnie says it's what people notice first: in a desk drawer at work, in the candy bag, in the dog food. Mouse droppings are 1/8 to 1/4 inch, pointed at one or both ends. Rat droppings are bigger, 1/2 to 3/4 inch, and blunt.
Gnaw marks and tracks
Fresh gnaw marks and tracks show where mice are active (MF1123). Their teeth leave distinct marks (CDC).
Nests, sounds and smell
Nests of shredded paper in sheltered spots, gnawing or squeaking in the walls or ceiling, and a musky, ammonia-like smell.
The mouse itself
Sometimes people see one. An adult is 5½ to 7½ inches with the tail, and it's mostly out at night.

House mouse

Coat: Light gray to gray-brown, with a lighter belly
Tail: Almost no fur on it
Ears and eyes: Relatively large ears, small black eyes

Deer mouse

Coat: Brownish back and white belly, with a distinct line between them; white feet
Tail: Two-tone: dark on top, white on the bottom
Ears and eyes: Larger than a house mouse's

Sources: Donnie Aaron; K-State Research and Extension, Controlling House Mice (MF1123); UC IPM, House Mouse and Deer Mouse; University of Nebraska–Lincoln, NebGuide G1105; Nebraska ICWDM, Deer and White-footed Mice; National Park Service, Conserve O Gram 3/12; CDC, Rodent Control.

Do mice carry hantavirus?

House mice aren't known to carry hantavirus (University of Nebraska–Lincoln). The most common kind in the U.S. is spread by the deer mouse (CDC).

Why are mice so hard to keep out?

A quarter inch

They squeeze through openings a little over 1/4 inch wide

Fast breeders

A female can have 5 to 10 litters a year, 5 or 6 young each

Range

A mouse covers only about 10 to 30 feet and prefers to stay close to its food.

Don't count on the cat or dog to keep them away.

Source: K-State Research and Extension, Controlling House Mice (MF1123).

Found droppings?
Text Donnie a photo.

It tells him whether it's something to jump on or not a concern at all.

Take a clear photo of the droppings, with a coin beside them for size if you can.

Text Donnie a photo Call Donnie

Opens your messages. Donnie replies the same day, Mon–Fri 8–5.

Where do mice get in, and where should I look?

Cutaway of a kitchen in the isometric house drawing, with four numbered callouts for where mice get in: a crack in the foundation wall, the gap around a pipe where it comes through the wall, the gap under the back door, and the attic. A magnifier compares the small mouse droppings in the open cabinet under the sink with a larger rat dropping.

01
Foundation cracks
02
Around pipes, vents and utility lines
The gap left around a pipe where it passes through the wall.
03
Doors, windows and screens
Gaps under doors and around windows and screens that don't fit tightly.
04
Look in the attic and under slabs
K-State says to look for signs of mice in attics, suspended ceilings and below concrete slabs too.

What draws them in

Food left out
Pet food, garbage and birdseed, and spills under the bird feeder.
Places to nest
Cabinet clutter, recyclables, firewood and compost piles.

Sources: K-State Research and Extension, Controlling House Mice (MF1123); UC IPM, House Mouse; University of Missouri Extension.

What can I do about mice myself?

What K-State and the CDC suggest.

5steps

Tick the ones you're already doing.

EasyPut food awayKeep it in sealed containers, and clean up spills quickly.
EasySet snap traps along the wallsTrapping is K-State's pick for a few mice in a house. Behind things and in dark corners, next to the wall, no more than 6 to 8 feet apart. Any poison bait goes in a bait station, out of reach of children and pets.
Takes an afternoonSeal the gapsSteel or copper wool plugs a gap temporarily. For good, use metal or concrete: mice chew through foam, plastic, rubber and wood. Fit doors, windows and screens tightly, and keep them shut.
EasyClean up safelyDon't sweep or vacuum droppings, urine or nests. (a) Open the doors and windows for 30 minutes first. (b) Wearing rubber gloves, mix 1½ cups of household bleach into 1 gallon of water. Or use 1 part bleach to 9 parts water. (c) Soak the droppings, urine and nests for 5 minutes, or as the product label says. (d) Wipe up with paper towels, bag any nest, and put it all in a covered trash can. (e) Mop the spot with disinfectant, then wash your hands.
Donnie's visit

Take care of the rest.

Mice are probably one of Donnie's top five calls. General pest control is a visit of traps and spray, inside and out. Mouse work is usually part of it.

Text Donnie Call Donnie

Sources: K-State Research and Extension, Controlling House Mice (MF1123); UC IPM, House Mouse; CDC, Rodent Clean-up; Donnie Aaron.

What doesn't work

Ultrasonic and other electronic devices, mothballs and ammonia. K-State says there's little evidence the devices drive mice out, and mothballs and ammonia aren't proven or registered for mice (MF1123).

Worth knowing

Results can take up to 10 days
K-State says traps or bait might take that long to show results. Still have a problem? It says to call a licensed pest control operator (MF1123).

What does Donnie do about mice, and what does it cost?

Price · mouse work

$125–165

a one-time visit. No contract.

Quarterly · $140 a visit*

Monthly · $120 a visit*

*For a home that's $165 one-time.

Donnie works alone, so it's him at the door on every visit. Most visits are booked within a week.

The visit itself costs about the same; extra equipment can add to it, and Donnie talks it through with you at the house.

See every price

Arrival · A window of about an hour; he texts when he's on the way

Paying · After the visit: card, Venmo, cash or check

If pests come back · Text Donnie. He talks it through and tells you before he comes whether a return visit costs anything.

No contract

You pay for each visit.

Same-day reply

Mon–Fri 8–5

Licensed in Kansas

In Wichita since 1992

Text or call Donnie

(316) 681-2255

Text Donnie Call Donnie

Opens your messages. Donnie replies the same day, Mon–Fri 8–5.

Mice in Wichita homes

How do I know it's mice?

Droppings

Gnaw marks and tracks

Nests, sounds and smell

The mouse itself

House mouse

Deer mouse

Do mice carry hantavirus?

Why are mice so hard to keep out?

Found droppings? Text Donnie a photo.

Where do mice get in, and where should I look?

Foundation cracks

Around pipes, vents and utility lines

Doors, windows and screens

Look in the attic and under slabs

Food left out

Places to nest

What can I do about mice myself?

Take care of the rest.

What doesn't work

Results can take up to 10 days

What does Donnie do about mice, and what does it cost?

Text or call Donnie

Found droppings?
Text Donnie a photo.