Mouse population booming in Vermont

If you're noticing more mice in or around your property, you're not alone.

Several exterminators across the state tell WCAX News that business is much busier than previous years. Some say they have even seen a 50 percent increase in mouse removals.

The Vermont Department of Health does not keep track of the mouse population but said the rise in sightings makes sense.

Wildlife biologists say there was an uptick in seed production last year, which is food for mice.

"Research has shown when those seeds and fruits are abundant, mice survive better in the winter, they produce earlier, reproduce at a younger age, and also have more litters," said Scott Darling, a wildlife biologist with the Vt. Dept. of Fish and Wildlife.

On the upside, Darling says because seed production is down this season, there should be a smaller mouse population next year.