Deer Mice in Cabins and Sheds Near Asheville, NC

If you open a cabin, shed, barn or camper near Asheville and find droppings and nests, assume they are from deer mice or white-footed mice until you know otherwise. Do not sweep or vacuum. Open the doors and windows and leave for 30 minutes, then soak the droppings with disinfectant and wipe them up wearing gloves, following CDC guidance. After that, trap the mice and seal the building.

The reason for the caution is hantavirus. The CDC says the most common hantavirus that causes hantavirus pulmonary syndrome in the United States is spread by the deer mouse, and the virus can get into the air when fresh urine, droppings or nesting from an infected rodent are stirred up.

Which mice live in the mountains

The Mammals of North Carolina guide says the white-footed deermouse is found across nearly the whole state, counts it as the state's most plentiful mammal by number of individuals and notes that it occurs in some buildings in wooded areas. It also says the white-footed deermouse is less common at high elevations, where the North American deermouse generally replaces it. Around Asheville, with woods everywhere and ridges climbing well above town, you can run into either.

Both look different from house mice. They have a brown or reddish-brown back, a sharply white belly and white feet, and large eyes and ears. House mice are a more even gray-brown with a slightly lighter belly. Telling the two deermice apart takes an expert, and you do not need to. Treat both with the same care.

Why cabins and outbuildings get hit

Buildings that sit closed are perfect for these mice. A cabin used on weekends, a vacation rental between guests, a workshop, barn, pump house or detached garage gives them shelter, nesting material and quiet. They nest in mattresses, drawers, stored bedding, insulation, boxes and engine compartments.

Asheville's surroundings make this common. Black Mountain, Swannanoa, Fairview, Candler, Weaverville and the coves around them have many properties with outbuildings near the woods. Even city neighborhoods like Haw Creek back up to forest.

After Hurricane Helene, many people stored belongings in sheds, garages and campers, and some buildings sat damaged for months. Those are exactly the conditions mice look for.

Opening a closed building safely

Follow the CDC's cleanup steps:

1. Open all doors and windows for 30 minutes before you start cleaning, and leave the area during that time. 2. Put on rubber or plastic gloves. 3. Mix fresh disinfectant: one and a half cups of household bleach in a gallon of water, about one part bleach to nine parts water. A commercial disinfectant works if you follow its label. 4. Spray droppings, urine and nests until soaked, and let them sit for five minutes or as the label directs. 5. Wipe up with paper towels and put them in a covered trash can that is emptied regularly. 6. For dead mice and nests, spray them and the area around them, put them in a plastic bag and seal that inside a second bag. 7. Disinfect the area again, wash gloved hands, take the gloves off and wash your hands with soap and warm water.

Do not sweep, vacuum or use a leaf blower on droppings. Wash bedding and fabrics that mice touched in hot water, and throw out heavily nested items.

For a large or heavily nested building, or if you have breathing problems or a weak immune system, have a provider with respirators do it.

Want the cabin handled for you?

Your call goes to an independent rodent control provider serving Asheville and Buncombe County. Describe what you are seeing and ask for the plan and the price in writing before any work starts.

(828) 503-0038Tap to call · Free to call

Keeping deer mice out

Trapping and sealing work the same as for house mice. NC State Extension says mice get through gaps of a quarter inch or larger.

Set snap traps along walls, in cabinets and under beds.
Seal gaps around doors, windows, log or board seams, plumbing, wires and vents with copper mesh, 00 steel wool and caulk, or hardware cloth.
Add door sweeps, and close gaps where the floor meets the walls.
Store bedding, cushions and gear in sealed plastic bins.
Keep food in metal or glass containers, and do not leave food or trash behind when you close up.
Clear brush and woodpiles from around the building.

Check traps every visit, and set fresh ones before you close up for a long stretch.

Symptoms to know

The CDC says hantavirus pulmonary syndrome starts one to eight weeks after rodent contact with fatigue, fever and muscle aches, sometimes with headaches, dizziness, chills or stomach problems. Four to ten days later, coughing and shortness of breath set in as the lungs fill with fluid. The CDC says 38 percent of people who develop respiratory symptoms may die. If you get sick after cleaning up after mice, see a doctor and tell them about the exposure.

For more on the illnesses rodents carry, see rodent diseases: leptospirosis, hantavirus and rat-bite fever.

Getting help

If the building is heavily nested, or you would rather not do the cleanup, a provider can trap, seal and clean following CDC guidance. See deer mouse control, droppings cleanup and our page on Black Mountain, where many cabins and outbuildings sit near the woods.

Frequently asked questions

How do I tell a deer mouse from a house mouse?

Deer mice and white-footed mice have a brown back, a crisp white belly, white feet and large eyes and ears. House mice are gray-brown all over with a slightly lighter belly.

Can I vacuum mouse droppings in my cabin?

No. The CDC says not to sweep or vacuum rodent droppings, urine or nesting. Soak them with disinfectant and wipe them up.

Should I wear a mask?

The CDC's home steps focus on airing the space out, gloves and wetting droppings first. For heavy contamination, a provider with respirators is the safer choice.

Will traps alone keep mice out of my shed?

No. Without sealing the gaps, new mice keep coming. Trap and seal together.

Get a rodent technician on the phone

Free to call. You are connected with an independent provider serving Asheville and the rest of Buncombe County. Same-day appointments are often available.