House mice homing abilities

[Always Sunny]

Is anyone knowledgeable on the homing range of the typical house mouse?

I've had a sporadic issue with mice in my house. Previously I've caught 1-2 at a time. Lately, it's just been one each instance.

As I'm an animal lover (and dislike the additional ick-factor of a kill trap) I use a live trap and set them free in the bush (let nature do it's thing). Typically I've let them go about 2-3km from home and as far as 12-15km.

Since I only seem to see/catch one at a time, it makes me wonder whether or not any of these are returning mice? Pretty much all of the information I've found online talks about a 250m-1200m range.

[Bsuds]

Maybe get a cat or see if you can find where they are getting in an close it up. They can squeeze thru a pretty small opening.

[Grandan]

From this article:
http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/5/1/99-0125_article

Three deer mice had been captured multiple times in our test grid (as far as 250 m from the house) before they were first captured in the house. Once captured in the house, however, they were not captured in traps of the grid (i.e., outside the house). The mean distance traversed by the five deer mice that returned to the house was at least 394 m; one mouse returned after being released 500 m and 1,000 m, then 750 m, and 1,200 m from the house at consecutive daily trapping sessions of 3 days. Sometime within the subsequent 6 weeks, this mouse returned to the house from the 1,000-m release point and then from 750 m and 1,200 m away on consecutive days within our 3-day trapping period. Each of the mice returning to the house did so within 24 hours of release, two as few as 6 hours after release from 500 m and 750 m away. Nine mice were captured once; six of eight mice captured twice were captured at least once more; one was captured 10 times, one 7 times, one 6 times, one 4 times, and two 3 times. Equal numbers of male and female, adult and juvenile mice were captured in the house, but only adult mice (5 of 5) returned to the house. Returning deer mice maintained or gained weight between captures and grew in length at approximately the same rate as deer mice captured in the test grid.

The recommendation by these researchers is to snap trap (kill) the rodents because they will return to the house from a distance of (documented) 2 kilometres from their home site.
The heath risks for humans from rodents is well documented:
From CDC:

Infection with hantavirus can progress to Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), which can be fatal. People become infected through contact with hantavirus-infected rodents or their urine and droppings. The Sin Nombre hantavirus, first recognized in 1993, is one of several New World hantaviruses circulating in the US. Old World hantaviruses, found in Asia, can cause Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome (HFRS). Rodent control in and around the home remains the primary strategy for preventing hantavirus infection. All cases of Hantavirus infection are reported to the CDC.

[hobbyguy]

My rule of thumb with mice is that if you see one, there are at least ten. Mice reproduce extremely quickly.

Efforts to "discourage" mice are futile. Plug the holes, and they will make new ones etc.

I agree with the notion that the only effective control is snap traps. I find the ones with yellow pads to be the best. A little peanut butter on the pad...no more mouse. I've never had one of those traps produce anything but an instant kill. I know there is an "ick" factor to that, but disposable gloves (a good idea for health reasons anyway) solve most of that.

The other thing to consider is the yard. Under the garden shed is a favorite spot for mice to nest. If you have a dozen or so living there, then periodically one will find its way into the house. You may just be trapping the "overflow".

For outdoor trapping, I use small (about 8" x 10" x 6"H) plywood boxes with "mouse doors" at each end, no floor. A simple handle on top for checking. Place the snap trap and put the box over it. That keeps pets and kids safer.

If you do that beside a garden shed, you may be surprised at how many you catch.

If you see mouse in your yard, that means there are more of them, and eventually they will gravitate to the prime habitat - your house.