Nesting box mice

All of the local schools are on Spring Break right now.  What does that mean for me?  It means that I have a few days of schedule-free time available.  I am using that time to do spring maintenance on pollinator gardens and bluebird nesting boxes. 

One of the hazards of doing maintenance on nesting boxes...

Oh, hello!  Sorry, but this space is occupied!

Mice like to take up residence in the boxes during the winter months.  This is especially true in the boxes that we have at Winn Elementary.  The boxes are in a fencerow and are easy for mice to access.  I think the mouse total this year was only ten (spread between a dozen nest boxes); last years total was fifteen mice.   I expect the mice here, but sometimes a teacher from Winn Elementary cleans out the boxes... 

The mice that take up residence are one of two species, the Deer Mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) or the the White-footed Mouse (P. leucopus).  The two species are very similar, but I think this one might be a White-footed based on its orange-brown fur - Deer Mice are generally grey-brown.

The sad evictee must now find a new residence...