If it’s not animated, doesn’t sing, and isn’t related to your fondest childhood memories, it’s a mouse you don’t want in your house — unless, of course, it’s your pet (there’s always room for family). Unfortunately, rather than understanding and respecting your feelings, these rodents only understand food — where they can find it and where they can’t. And exactly what do mice eat?
Short answer: Just about anything they can find. That includes food you leave out on your counter, ingredients not stored in airtight containers in your pantry, pet food sitting out in bowls, and even uncovered trash.
So, What Do Mice Eat?
Mice can live 12 months to three years, depending on their environment, as long as food is readily available. Omnivorous creatures, mice will eat just about anything they can find; although, certain species prefer different foods.
Field mice mostly eat plants and animals, including:
- Rice
- Oats
- Worms
- Spiders
- Potatoes
- Carrots
- Strawberries
- Bananas
- Roaches
- Grasshoppers
- Fungi/mushrooms
- Seeds
Deer mice prefer to consume various types of seeds. But, they’ll also eat:
- Fungi/mushrooms
- Berries
- Beetles
- Caterpillars
- Worms
- Snails
- Plant leaves/stems
- Spiders
- Grains
House mice eat practically anything, including all of the above and:
- Chocolate
- Butter
- Cereal
- Various fruits and veggies
- Nuts and seeds
- Meat
- Dog/cat food
- Cat/dog poop
- Grease
- Pasta
- Garbage scraps
- Bread
- Onions are debatable; experts disagree whether onions can in fact kill/repel mice or not harm them at all
Note: When other food sources are scarce, mice have been known to eat other mice to survive. Also, mice will chew through non-edible items like paper and wires for the purpose of building their nests.
What Foods Work Best in Mouse Traps?
Cheese, obviously … right? Actually, wrong. To really entice a mouse, opt for peanut butter instead — hazelnut butter and chocolate work well, too. Be careful to only use a pea-sized amount of the lure, though, because like in those cartoons of old, a mouse can easily swipe a taste of a larger bait without tripping the trap, thus getting away scot-free.
Don’t have any of the aforementioned baits on hand? Here are a few other effective options:
- Slightly melted marshmallows
- Bacon
- Caramel
- Candy
- Pet food
- Hot dog
What Is a Mouse’s Lifespan and Life Cycle?
For starters, mice won’t begin eating actual food until they reach three weeks of age; prior to that, they’re still feeding on their mother’s milk.
Speaking of a mother mouse, she’s able to start birthing offspring at six weeks old — and can do so repeatedly around 10 times per year, bearing five to 12 baby mice at a time (or between 80 to 90 babies during her lifetime).
In the wild, mice live 12 to 18 months, ultimately succumbing to predators or lack of food, water, and shelter. House mice, however, can live two to three years as long as they aren’t removed from the home via poisoning or deadly traps or as long as food and water are plentiful.
What Attracts Mice to Homes?
Besides an abundance of food, mice are also drawn to areas with reliable sources of water, paper, insulation, clutter, and plant life. While water helps mice stay hydrated, digest food, and keep their body temperature in check, they don’t need much — only a few milliliters a day, in fact — and can survive about a month without any water.
Mice use paper, insulation, and other clutter for nesting, as those materials are soft and warm. And plant life? Trees and bushes can be used to help mice gain access to your home in the first place.
What Can’t Mice Chew Through?
Wood, aluminum, plastic, rubber, fiberglass, and even some concrete (if improperly laid) is no match for the gnawing power of a mouse’s teeth. But steel wool may prove a more difficult task for the mouse. Some experts argue mice can’t chew through steel wool at all, while others say they may just give up chewing through it (the material irritates their faces), and use their feet to pull the material out of their way, instead.
FAQ About Mice and What They Eat
What do feeder mice eat?
Not every mouse in a house is a pest. Some, for example, are kept as pets — and others for the purpose of feeding pet snakes, hence the name “feeder” mice. For the latter, the best way to ensure they’re a healthy part of your snake’s diet, give them fruits, veggies, seeds, grains, and meat.
Why do mice chew through wires?
Fun (?) fact: Mice teeth never stop growing — and if they don’t constantly chew on things, their teeth will literally grow into their brains, and you can guess what would happen after that. So, to prevent that from happening, mice are always chewing on something, and that includes wires, as they’re great at filing the teeth down.
Of course, mice chewing on wires in your home can cause all sorts of problems, namely potential house fires due to frayed wires/cables and electrical malfunctions. You can prevent such an occurrence by having an electrician check your wiring if you suspect mouse activity.
What diseases do mice, rats, and other rodents carry?
Since house mice, especially, eat a whole lot of everything, they can contaminate the foods you eat. Super gross to think about, we know, but if mice get into your home and your food, they can spread the following diseases:
- Hantavirus
- Monkeypox
- Lymphocytic choriomeningitis
- Bubonic plague
- Tularemia
Hire a Pro to Send Mice Packing
You run a household not a smorgasbord for mice and other rodents. Make sure they always feast elsewhere by enlisting the help of a rodent control expert near you. They’ll perform a thorough inspection, locate the nest (or at least try to), set traps, and seal entry points to help prevent a recurrence.
Main Photo Credit: Alexas_Fotos from Pixabay / Canva Pro / License
