Evaluation of environmental DNA as a surveillance tool for invasive house mice (Mus musculus)
Environmental DNA is a powerful tool for invasive‑species monitoring, but its performance depends on how detection relates to organism density and environmental conditions. Using a validated assay for Mus musculus, this study tested eDNA accumulation and persistence in controlled laboratory settings and an outdoor mesocosm. A single mouse produced detectable eDNA within one hour, and signals persisted for months indoors but faded within four days outdoors. These results clarify how density and environment shape detection rates and inform post‑eradication sampling strategies. The findings highlight the broader potential of this assay for improving invasive house‑mouse management.
Subject Tags
- Conservation Technology
- Wildlife
- Invasive Species
Abstract
Increasing the success of invasive species management depends on the development, testing, and deployment of new tools. Environmental DNA (eDNA) is an effective tool for monitoring invasive species that can help identify presence/absence, geographical boundaries of invasion, risk pathways and population connectivity. In particular, understanding the sensitivity of eDNA detection rates to target species density allows calibration of sampling rates. In this study, we take a lab-validated eDNA assay for Mus musculus (house mouse) and test its detection rates at different populations densities for wild-caught, free-ranging M. musculus in a controlled laboratory and an outdoor mesocosm. The goal was to understand both eDNA accumulation after M. musculus is introduced and the persistence of the accumulated eDNA signal in the environment after animals were removed. We found that eDNA signal was detectable within one h of a single mouse being introduced and that the signal was detectable for months after in the controlled environment but largely undetectable after four days in an outdoor mesocosm. We suggest sampling strategies for post-eradication deployment of eDNA and highlight other uses for this assay, which are important to the deployment of this tool for invasive M. musculus management.
Citation
Piaggio, A. J., Robinson, S. J., Shiels, A. B., Taylor, D. R., Spock, D. R., Allira, M., ... & Gemmell, N. J. (2025). Evaluation of environmental DNA as a surveillance tool for invasive house mice (Mus musculus). Environmental DNA, 7(1), e70069. https://doi.org/10.1002/edn3.70069
TNC Authors
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Nick D. Holmes
Associate Director, Oceans Program, California
The Nature Conservancy
Email: nick.holmes@tnc.org