This winter has been an especially cold one. Small animals have struggling to find food and shelter to keep warm. Some people have resorted to helping natures smaller creatures by putting out bird seed, small shelters and other provisions. But during this season, mice and rats will actively seek out a safe haven against the cold. That harborage could likely be your home. Will mice eat dead mice? Yes, mice will eat other dead mice. They are scavengers and will feed on any protein source, especially in low food supply situations.
Everything has difficulty finding food in the winter months. Plants have no fruit or berries, and small prey animals such as mice have no foliage to hide under. Most animals attempt to up their protein intake in the colder weather to help them stay warm. If mice have no other protein source, they will eat another mouse that is dead. With fewer protein sources in the winter, most mice will gladly conserve by consuming a dead mouse than let that protein go to waste.
MICE CANNIBALISM
Mice, like most animals, are acutely sensitive to stress. They find the highest levels of stress when they are in open spaces with no place to hide. They much prefer to be by walls and under cover. Their sight is not great, but they excel in smell, hearing and feel. They use their whiskers to feel walls as they travel along them. This also gives them a sense of safety. But when they find themselves under stress, they begin to exhibit strange behaviors, such as cannibalism.
These rodents are prey animals. They are constantly being eaten by other larger animals. To combat this, they will stop at nothing to protect themselves. When one of their numbers becomes sick or old, they become slow and weaker. This attracts predators to them, and the ones closest to them. In order to not attract these predators, mice will kill and eat a sick or old mouse that is part of their numbers. Also, if mice find themselves overpopulated for the food sources that are available, they will also thin their numbers using cannibalism. This is a natural thing that they use to protect their species. Protect your home by contacting your Broken Arrow exterminator today.
PROBLEMS WITH LIVE TRAPS
Because of this phenomenon, live traps can present an issue. Firstly, if live traps are not checked daily, the mice caught inside them could starve to death. This happens much quicker than you would expect. And, if multiple mice are found in a live trap, and the trap is left too long, the mice will resort to cannibalism to meet their nutritional needs. Also, being trapped in a small open space with no protection against predators puts them under high amounts of stress.
If multiple mice are caught in a live trap, they could quickly determine that there are too many of them for the current food supply, and start fighting to the death. Another issue is, what do you do with them once you’ve caught them? Releasing them into a new habitat can be extremely stressful for mice. Not only do they have to be concerned with the predators in the new home that they have found themselves in, but they must acclimate to this new environment as well. These misplaced rodents can also bring diseases that the native species of rodents do not have immunities for. For this reason, live trapping is highly discouraged. A quick call to your Tulsa exterminator can deal with these pests appropriately.
MICE REQUIREMENTS
Mice, like most animals, need three things to survive. They need water, food and harborage, or a place to stay. Mice do not carry a large amount of fat in order to keep them quick. They must do this to flea danger in a hurry. Because of this, most mice can only go about four to five days without food before they starve to death. This is a very important factor to remember, especially in a live trapping situation. A majority of their water consumption comes from their food. They can, however, get water from a puddle or leaking pipe in a home, if need be.
These rodents are prey animals, and as such are always attempting to find shelter from other animals that prey upon them. Because of this, they will often find their way into homes. In the winter, mice do not hibernate. They are warm blooded, so them must find a warm shelter to survive in. That makes our warm homes a perfect place to hide. Keeping rodents out of your home during colder weather is usually much more difficult than other times.
HOME REMEDIES FOR MOUSE INFESTATIONS
The internet is full of home remedies for mouse problems. Most of them are simply not effective. Ultra sonic noise devices are one such remedy. Sudden sounds can startle mice, but they get used to continuous sounds pretty quickly. Ultra sonic sounds are also very directional, and don’t go through objects very well. This limits the amount of space that they can cover anyways. Essential oils are also pretty useless against rodent infestation. Most of these oils are plant based, and can signal food sources for these pests. The best solution is to call your Tulsa pest control company for help.
The best home remedies focus on the actual needs of mice. For instance, you can eliminate their ability to use your home for harborage by blocking off gaps and cracks using steel wool. They can’t bite through steel wool, and this can deter them from getting into your home to begin with. Also, keeping a clean home, especially the kitchen, can deter them. Dirty dishes and left out food can be a food source for these small mammals. Also, clutter can give them places to hide and feel safe in your home. Eliminating these things can help in your fight against them.
HOW TO RID YOUR HOUSE OF MICE FOR GOOD
If you find yourself in a fight against a mouse infestation, it is probably time to call in a professional Broken Arrow pest control company. Here at TermMax Pest Control, our technicians are especially trained to deal with mice and other rodents. We can take care of your problem quickly and humanely. We service the greater Tulsa area including Broken Arrow, Bixby, Sand Springs, Coweta, Sapulpa, Claremore, Owasso, Pratville, Catoosa, Jenks, Turley and much more. Contact us today for a free estimate. We’re here to help!
