What do mice eat?

Have you ever wondered what do mice eat? Mice are very opportunistic and voracious eaters. They like to find places to nest that are warm with access to food and nesting materials and that may include your home. Areas mice are especially fond of include wall cavities, attics, kitchens and a variety of other places. If any of these areas provide mice access to food, then your residence is at risk of infestation.

Mice will eat any number of things found around your home. The small rodents will search for an easy supply of food necessary to support their nest. Here are more details about what mice eat.

Because mice will eat anything they can get their teeth into, they are known as omnivores. Wild mice, as opposed to urban mice, will eat plants and meat, but primarily feed on vegetation.

When a mouse is in a more urban environment, and gains access to a home or business, they will eat just about anything you leave out, including:

• meats
• grains
• oats
• cereal
• rice
• corn
• fruit
• seeds

A house mouse, has adapted to urban living. They are evolved to eat just about anything. They look for food scraps in the garbage. House mice are not above chewing through bags and other containers to get to food. Still, house mice typically favor eating insects and seeds.

You should be wary of deer mice - they can carry hantavirus. Deer mice get nourishment from sources such as seeds, insects, berries, and small animals. They also may consume their feces. Deer mice themselves can be eaten by animals such as snakes.

If you watched cartoons when you were a kid, you might think that mice like to eat cheese. The fact is, this isn’t true. When it comes to cheese, a mouse in your house might take a pass.

What a mouse likes to eat the most are items loaded with carbohydrates. Mice have tiny bodies and need to move very fast, so they need things that can be broken down fast to use for energy.

A mouse might prefer peanut butter over cheese, for example. It has also been shown that chocolate is appealing to mice. Mice are fond of fruits and other sweets, so they may decide to bite on sweet things. However, they are opportunistic and will take a chance on most anything.

Mice are eager to try a lot of different things, and have very strong teeth that can chew through a variety of materials. This is why mice can be such a problem because they can do a lot of damage to property as well as bringing the possibility of diseases or eating food inside the home.

Mice can also chew through wooden walls and drywall. Their teeth are always growing and to keep them from growing too long, they have a built-in compulsion to gnaw on things.

Once mice get indoors, they may create holes in furniture, cabinets and baseboards. They also will chew on the rubber insulation that surrounds electrical wires. Mice may also bit right through the wires themselves, shorting out electrical devices and creating a possible fire hazard.

If you think that mice have infested your home, then call Ehrlich to schedule an appointment. If you call 1-800-837-5520 or use our online form our pest specialists will identify mice entry points and present you with control solutions.