What Do Mice Eat?
by pest expert Matthew S. Hess, 07/09/2024
House mice are the most common rodents infesting homes in the U.S. They often enter during periods of extreme weather, such as flooding, drought, extreme heat, or extreme cold. This is exasperated when weather patterns quickly change, forcing rodents to seek shelter, find water, or search for food.
House mice can enter a home through cracks and gaps as small as ¼ of an inch. Once inside, they will search for food and shelter. Females may quickly begin constructing a nest to birth their young. In either case, a food source must be present to sustain any infestation. Let’s take a look at the foods mice most commonly prefer and how we can prevent infestation.
Foods Most Commonly Preferred by House Mice
Contrary to popular belief, mice do not have a particular fondness for cheese. The omnivorous house mouse, in fact, has a varied diet. It prefers fruits, grains, insects, nuts, and seeds, but will consume most foods that humans and pets eat. In essence, the house mouse will consume the most easily accessible food source available, even if that means corn-plastic!
How To Prevent House Mice
Effective prevention of house mice hinges on food storage and sanitation. Where there is no food, there are very few, if any, mice. Therefore, properly storing human and pet foods and reducing natural rodent foods is crucial. This involves storing easily accessible foods in containers or areas that limit access to house mice and keeping seeds, nuts, and fruits from trees cleared out of the property.
To properly store foods like beans, rice, nuts, and similar foods, airtight containers made from sturdy materials with tightly secured lids should be used. Pet foods should also be stored in airtight containers and free-choice pet food should be eliminated entirely. Acorns, hickory nuts, and other nuts, fruits, and seeds from trees and plants should be gathered and disposed of away from the structure. If you, a pet, or another animal will eat it, assume mice will eat it too and then eliminate their access to it.
Opened and unsealed food attracts mice and other pests and potentially exposes you to diseases and pathogens those pests may carry.
Food should be stored in sturdy, inaccessible containers with tightly sealed lids to avoid contamination, potential illness, and mice.
What If I Already Have Mice?
Whether or not you have initiate efforts in reducing or eliminating mice is entirely your decision, but the steps are much the same. Eliminating food sources is a great first start to control efforts! Four Seasons Pest Solutions is here to guide you should you choose to DIY. Or, if you prefer, we can implement our ZeRo Rodent Program and take all the headache and guess work out of rodent control. Either way, it is crucial for you to be sure mice are not invading your space, contaminating your food, introducing pathogens and disease into your home, or chewing through an electric wire causing a house fire.
Our technicians are standing by, ready to eliminate any rodent problems you may have. Simply contact us and you’ll se why everyone says that it’s good to have Four Seasons on your side!
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