A deer mouse has a brown or tawny back, a clean white belly and white feet, large ears, big dark eyes, and a tail that is dark on top and pale underneath. A house mouse is a fairly even gray or gray-brown all over, with smaller eyes and a scaly, nearly hairless tail. In El Paso you can meet both, sometimes in the same garage.
The difference matters mostly for cleanup. The CDC names the deer mouse as the most common carrier of the hantavirus that causes hantavirus pulmonary syndrome in the United States. Any mouse mess should be cleaned carefully, but a deer mouse nest calls for the full routine.
Side-by-side differences
Look at the animal, a photo, or a trapped mouse with gloves on.
- Color: deer mouse has a sharp line between a brown back and white belly. House mouse is mostly one color, sometimes a bit lighter underneath.
- Feet: deer mouse feet are white. House mouse feet match the body or are only slightly lighter.
- Tail: deer mouse tail is two-toned, dark above and white below, with fine hair. House mouse tail is scaly, nearly hairless and one color.
- Eyes and ears: deer mice have noticeably large eyes and ears for their size.
- Smell: house mice often leave a stronger musky odor indoors.
Where each one lives
House mice live with people. They nest in wall spaces, cabinets, appliance bases and stored boxes and rarely live far from buildings.
Deer mice are native. Texas Tech's Mammals of Texas says the species remains common in the Trans-Pecos and northwestern Texas, usually in grasslands or open brush, nesting in burrows, brush piles and rock crevices. It also tends to live in old cabins and buildings. Around El Paso that means garages, sheds, barns, stored equipment and homes that back onto open desert, arroyos or fields.
Why the difference matters
Hantavirus is spread mostly through contact with the urine, droppings and saliva of infected rodents, according to the CDC, and stirring up dried waste can put the virus in the air. The CDC reports that symptoms of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome usually start 1 to 8 weeks after contact and that about 38 percent of people who develop respiratory symptoms may die.
Cases in Texas are uncommon. A 2014 Texas Department of State Health Services release counted 39 confirmed cases in the state since 1993. Texas Tech notes that a few people, particularly on the Texas High Plains, have died from it. The low numbers are not a reason to skip precautions. They are a reason to clean up the right way and not panic. Our hantavirus article covers symptoms and risk.
What to do about each
The control steps are similar for both.
- Trap with snap traps along walls. The CDC recommends snap traps and advises against glue and live traps.
- Seal gaps of a quarter inch or more. The CDC says mice fit through a hole the width of a pencil.
- Store food, pet food and seed in sealed containers.
- Clean droppings and nests wet: air out for 30 minutes, gloves on, soak with bleach solution for 5 minutes, wipe and double-bag.
- For deer mice in a closed shed or cabin, wear a respirator or hire a professional.
If deer mice keep showing up in a garage, the garage rodent control page covers sealing and storage changes.
Cabins, sheds and seasonal places
Deer mice often move into places that sit closed for months: hunting cabins, storage sheds, RVs, and garages where seasonal gear is stored. Texas Tech advises caution when cleaning old buildings where deer mice live. When you open one of those spaces, follow the CDC steps before you touch anything.
- Open doors and windows and leave for 30 minutes.
- Wear rubber or plastic gloves, and a respirator for heavy contamination.
- Soak droppings and nests with a 1-to-9 bleach solution or disinfectant for 5 minutes.
- Wipe up, double-bag, and throw away in a covered can.
- Wash bedding and fabrics in hot water with detergent.
Keeping both out
Both mice use the same kinds of gaps, so the same sealing works. Garages, utility entries and gaps at the slab are the main routes in El Paso homes. Our rodent exclusion page explains the materials.
Other mice you might see
The El Paso area has other native mice besides the deer mouse. If you are not sure what you have, a technician can identify it during an inspection. Treat any unknown mouse mess with the same cleanup care.
Frequently asked questions
Do house mice carry hantavirus?
The CDC names the deer mouse as the main US carrier. Other rodents carry other germs, so clean all droppings carefully.
Are deer mice common in El Paso?
Texas Tech says the species remains common in the Trans-Pecos, the region that includes El Paso.
Can deer mice climb?
Texas Tech describes them as poor climbers that stay near the ground, unlike some other native mice.
Should I keep a trapped deer mouse to identify it?
No need. A photo works. Spray the trap and mouse with disinfectant, double-bag it, and dispose of it.
Can I catch deer mice with regular mouse traps?
Yes. Standard snap mouse traps work. Place them along walls and handle catches with gloves.
Sources
- CDC: About hantavirus
- CDC: How to clean up after rodents
- Texas Tech University, Mammals of Texas: North American deermouse
- CDC: How to seal up to prevent rodents
- Texas DSHS: Hantavirus case prompts precaution reminder (2014)