Where Do Mice Live? Mouse Habitat Indoors and Outdoors in Canada

TL;DR

• Outdoors, mice often live in fields, woodlands, grasslands and around farm buildings. The house mouse usually lives near people.
• Indoors, the usual spots are wall voids, ceilings, storage areas, cabinets, appliances, insulation and furniture.
• Mice nest in dark, sheltered spots close to food and heat, usually within about 3 to 10 metres of what they eat. The nest is almost always close to where you see droppings and chewed packaging.
• Deer mice live in the countryside and may move into buildings near fields and woodlands in the fall. The deer mouse is the most common carrier of hantavirus in Canada (Health Canada).
• Mice move indoors mostly in the fall. They generally don't hibernate, and house mice living indoors may breed year-round.
• Need help? Get a quote from a recommended local exterminator through Pest Agent's referral form.

Mice live in fields, woodlands and around farm buildings, and the house mouse, the one most likely to scratch behind a wall at night, lives almost anywhere people do. Indoors, they settle in sheltered spots close to food and heat, from wall voids and ceilings to cabinets and the warm space around appliances.

Not every mouse near a home is a house mouse, though. A deer mouse that wanders in from the edge of a field or woodland behaves differently, and Health Canada names it the most common carrier of hantavirus. The habitat a mouse comes from outdoors changes what finding it indoors means for you.

Where Do Mice Live in the Wild?

Mice live in fields, woodlands, grasslands and around farm buildings, and the house mouse lives almost always near people. According to The Canadian Encyclopedia, mice occur in forests and fields, but their habitats vary by species. Knowing which mouse you have tells you a lot about where it came from and where it will try to settle.

How Many Kinds of Mice Live in Canada?

Canada has about 13 species of mice, and the house mouse is thought to be the only one that was introduced from elsewhere (The Canadian Encyclopedia). Three are common across the country: the house mouse, the deer mouse and the meadow jumping mouse. The Government of Alberta names the house mouse and the deer mouse as two of the most common species in that province. To tell them apart, see our mouse identification chart.

House Mouse Habitat

The house mouse habitat is wherever people are. The house mouse is likely not native to North America: it is thought to have come from Asia and, according to Alberta Agriculture, depends on people for shelter and food, particularly in cooler climates like ours. Health Canada notes that it is often found in urban areas. Outdoors, house mice live around homes, farms, urban lots, fields and fencerows, but they seldom stray far from buildings and are uncommon in undisturbed areas away from farms or towns (University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Animal Diversity Web). Outside, they hide in dense vegetation, sheds, barns and woodpiles.

Deer Mouse Habitat

The deer mouse habitat is the countryside: prairies, bushy areas and woodlands (Animal Diversity Web). Prairie deer mice often nest just below ground in burrows, while forest deer mice nest in stumps, logs, brush piles, tree cavities and old bird nests. They also move into cottages and outbuildings. Health Canada says the deer mouse may invade buildings near fields and woodlands in the fall. This matters, because the deer mouse is the most common carrier of hantavirus in Canada.

Meadow Jumping Mouse Habitat

The meadow jumping mouse lives in moist grassland and the thick vegetation along streams, ponds and marshes, and it avoids heavily wooded areas (Animal Diversity Web). Unlike house mice and deer mice, it typically hibernates: it usually digs into a burrow about 0.3 to 0.9 m (about 1 to 3 feet) underground, often between late September and early October, and comes out in mid to late spring. That is why you rarely find one in a house.

Are Field Mice Really Voles?

Field mice are usually voles. The Canadian Encyclopedia states that "the familiar field mice are actually voles." The meadow vole builds underground tunnels and surface runways through grass, and Alberta Agriculture notes that it rarely goes higher than ground level and does not usually climb walls, roofs or attics. If you see tunnels in your lawn after the snow melts, a vole is the likely cause, not a house mouse.

Where Do Mice Live in Your House?

Mice live in the quiet, sheltered parts of your house that sit close to food and warmth. The Government of Alberta lists some of the usual spots: wall voids, ceilings, storage areas, cabinets, appliances, insulation and furniture. Each one gives mice the same three things: darkness, protection and a short trip to food.

Here are the main indoor mouse habitats, room by room. For a longer list with every hiding spot, see our guide to where mice hide in a house.

Wall Voids

Wall voids are one of the most common places mice live inside a home. Mice often climb up and down the framing inside walls and may use the holes drilled for plumbing and electrical wiring to get in and out, according to Orkin Canada (commercial). Scratching or squeaking sounds from walls and ceilings, especially at night, are often a sign of mice living there (University of Nebraska-Lincoln).

Attics

Attics give mice warmth, quiet and insulation they can shred for a nest. The Government of Alberta lists insulation among the usual indoor nest sites, and Interior Health in British Columbia notes that deer mice may favour spaces like attics. An attic that nobody visits for months is ideal mouse habitat.

Kitchen Cabinets

Kitchen cabinets put mice right next to food. Alberta Health Services advises looking for droppings, for example near food and under stoves, refrigerators and sinks. Lower cabinets, the back of the pantry and the space under the sink are the first places to check.

Behind Appliances

The space behind appliances is a favourite mouse den because it is warm and rarely cleaned. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln notes that appliances that run constantly, such as refrigerators, water heaters and furnaces, can be favourite den sites, and that nests are often found close to heat sources like ovens and water heaters.

Basements

Basements combine the things mice look for: storage areas, a furnace and water heater for warmth, and often moisture from sweating pipes or drains. Pest control companies such as Pesticon (commercial) list basements, with attics, wall voids and kitchens, among the places mice often nest.

Garages

Garages offer clutter, shelter from the weather and often an easy way in under the door. Health Canada advises removing cosy nesting sites in unused clutter around your house and garage, and UC IPM suggests searching garages for nests of finely shredded paper.

Clutter and Storage Boxes

Clutter and storage boxes become mouse habitat because nobody moves them. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln notes that mice can live in piles of debris, items that are rarely moved, stacked wood and other hard-to-reach areas. Old papers, fabric and cardboard in those boxes also give mice ready-made nesting material.

Where Do Mice Nest?

Mice nest in dark, sheltered spots close to food and heat, usually within about 3 to 10 metres (about 10 to 30 feet) of what they eat. The Government of Alberta says mice often build nests in sheltered areas close to food and heat sources, and that outdoors they may nest in debris piles, vegetation or shallow burrows.

What Is a Mouse Nest Made Of?

A mouse nest is a loose ball of shredded, soft material. Alberta Agriculture describes it as often ball-shaped and made of shredded fibrous material such as paper, burlap, stems, leaves and twigs. Indoors, mice use what they find: paper, tissue, cardboard, fabric scraps and insulation. If you find a small pile of finely chewed paper or fluff in a hidden corner, you have likely found a nest.

Nest Location

A mouse nest location is chosen for darkness, warmth and quiet. Indoors, that means inside walls, behind or under appliances, in the back of drawers and cabinets, inside boxes and in attic insulation. House mice prefer dark, secluded spots where they are unlikely to be disturbed. Outdoors, nests sit in brush piles, woodpiles, tall vegetation and shallow burrows.

How Far Mice Travel From the Nest

Mice travel only a short distance from the nest. The Government of Alberta puts their range at roughly 3 to 10 m, and UC IPM says house mice seldom venture more than about 30 feet (about 9 metres) from their nest and food supply. They may still leave the nest many times a day (University of Nebraska-Lincoln), and Alberta Health Services notes that they prefer to travel along the edges of a room. In practice, the nest is almost always close to where you see droppings and chewed packaging.

Signs of a Nest Nearby

Signs of a nest nearby can include fresh droppings, often concentrated in one area, shredded paper or fabric, chewed food packages and scratching in the walls at night (Health Canada); the US EPA also lists droppings and shredded paper or fabric. To track the nest down, follow our step-by-step guide on how to find mice in your house. If you wonder how big the family behind it is, read how many mice live in a nest.

When Do Mice Move Indoors?

Mice often move indoors in the fall, when nights get colder and outdoor food becomes harder to find. Once inside, a warm house with a steady food supply gives them no reason to leave.

Fall

Fall is the main season for mice moving into homes. UC IPM notes that outdoor house mice frequently enter homes in autumn when nighttime temperatures become colder, and Alberta Health Services says the house mouse usually enters a home in the fall and winter looking for food and shelter. Health Canada adds that deer mice may invade buildings near fields and woodlands in the fall.

Winter

Winter does not send mice into hibernation. The Government of Alberta states that mice generally remain active throughout the year and do not hibernate, and that house mice living indoors may breed year-round. A few mice that move in during the fall can therefore become a much bigger problem by spring. Read more about mice in winter.

Closed Seasonal Buildings

Closed seasonal buildings, such as cottages, cabins, trailers and sheds, are prime mouse habitat over the winter because nobody disturbs them. The Public Health Agency of Canada lists garden and storage sheds among the places with a higher risk of hantavirus exposure, and the same may be true of cottages, trailers and farm buildings; Interior Health points to sheds, attics and cabins that have not been used for a while. Treat the first spring cleaning of these buildings with care (see the cleaning steps below).

How Do You Make Your Home a Poor Mouse Habitat?

Making your home a poor mouse habitat means taking away the shelter, food and water that let mice settle in. The Government of Alberta notes that reducing access to food, water and shelter is often one of the most important steps in long-term control.

Seal Entry Points

Sealing entry points keeps mice from reaching the warm spaces inside. Health Canada warns that mice can squeeze through cracks as small as a dime, and the Government of Alberta advises sealing openings larger than about 6 mm (about 1/4 inch) with gnaw-resistant materials such as metal or concrete. Stuff steel wool around pipes before caulking, add metal weather stripping under doors and cover dryer vents, attic vents and soffits with fine metal mesh. Our guide on how to find mice entry points shows where to look.

Store Food in Sealed Containers

Storing food in sealed containers takes away the main reason mice stay. Health Canada advises storing dry food in metal or glass containers, and Alberta Health Services recommends glass or metal because mice can chew through plastic. Store pet food, birdseed and grass seed the same way, and do not leave dishes or crumbs out overnight.

Fix Leaks

Fixing leaks removes a water source mice will use. UC IPM notes that house mice do not need to drink water to survive, because they get moisture from their food, but they will seek liquids when their food is dry. Health Canada recommends eliminating leaky taps, sweating pipes and open drains.

Clear Clutter

Clearing clutter removes the hiding places and nesting material mice depend on. Store items in sealed bins rather than open cardboard boxes, keep storage off the floor where you can, and move or check stored items regularly so mice are less likely to settle undisturbed.

Tidy the Yard

Tidying the yard keeps mice from living right next to your walls. The Government of Alberta recommends mowing grass and removing debris, and the Public Health Agency of Canada advises moving stacked woodpiles and compost bins away from buildings.

Clean Old Nests Safely

Cleaning old nests safely helps protect you from germs, including hantavirus, which UC IPM notes deer mice shed in their saliva, urine and droppings. Open doors and windows and stay out of the area for at least 30 minutes before cleaning (Government of Alberta). Wear rubber or plastic gloves, never sweep or vacuum droppings or nests, and soak them with a disinfectant or 1 part bleach to 9 parts water for 10 minutes before wiping them up (Public Health Agency of Canada). See our full guide on how to clean mouse droppings.

When to Call a Pest Control Professional

Calling a pest control professional makes sense when you hear mice in several walls, find nests in more than one room, or keep catching mice after sealing and trapping. Health Canada notes that snap traps and electronic traps are very effective if they are well placed and set properly, and that any poisoned bait must sit in a tamper-proof bait station away from children and pets. For a full plan, read how to get rid of mice, browse the mice guides, or get a quote from a recommended local exterminator through Pest Agent's referral form.