We returned to the desert from 3.5 months of travel to our home in the Anza Borrego Desert to find Chaetodipus and Peromyscus invading the house walls, the garage (including the car trunks and engine compartments), the outdoor furniture, hot tub and the pool cover wells. Live traps were ineffective given the numbers and success rate. Bait is out of the question due to food chain ramifications. Victor traps are being used in the garage and in areas where they don't belong, never more than 6" from the foundation and the numbers are finally dwindling.

Our backyard opens onto miles of undeveloped open desert scrub. The plant habitat behind the house includes primarily creosote and Ambrosia dumosa and A. salsola. Also in abundance is brittlebush, teddy-bear and gander's cholla, krameria, ocotillo and beavertail cactus. 100 feet behind my house are large colonies of Dipodomys merriami, but these never enter the garage and house while the Chaetodipus and Peromyscus do.

"Mammals of California" by Jameson & Peeters are used for ID. Insights & ID tips/thoughts solicited.