Archive for the ‘facts about mice’ Category

Interesting Facts About Mice

Thursday, April 12th, 2012

There are some very important facts about mice that everyone should know. Apart from being the primary subject to almost chemical test done in laboratories, mice don’t extend any advantage to humans. They are a source of life threatening diseases like Plague, Trichinosis, Salmonella, Hantavirus, Leptospirosis, and Endemic Typhus to name a few. They are also the carriers of many parasites. They cause a lot of damage to your house by chewing away clothes and by contamination the eatables. All eatables should be kept in hard containers away from the grasp of mice. Any leftovers should be stored properly or disposed out of the house. A mouse ventures in the filth and garbage. A mouse bite may be fatal because of intoxication. Mice dwell on daily food and plants but some examples enlighten the fact they also consume non-vegetarian stuff too.

facts about mice

A female mouse starts breeding when it is 50 days old. It has a gestation period of just 20 days. After these 20 days, it may give birth to 10-12 pups at a time and can do so 6-10 times a year. The new born pups are red in color and weigh around 1-1.5 grams each. Mouse infestation, if attended, may give rise to a whole army of rats in your house. Female mice also care for babies not their own. Mice eat 15-20 times a day and generally stay near food sources. Reports suggest that mice eat their own droppings. Because of their eating habits, mouse traps and rat poison is very effective for exterminating them.

Mice demonstrate some human-like behavior also. The male mouse searches and brings food whereas the female mouse collects items useful for building of a nest and takes care of its pups. They may share their nests with their relatives too. They also produce their own Vitamin-C. An average house mouse lives for around 5 months. This short age is due to the predators like snake, cats, dogs and others. In a laboratory, where it is well kept, a mouse may live up to 2 years.

Mice can hear ultrasonic frequencies, a quality common to animals like Cats and Dogs. Their hearing ability is much more advanced than humans and that’s why they run away on hearing the slightest of sounds. The Indians, and many other religions, worship Mice. Their name comes from a Sanskrit word ‘mus’ which means a thief. One of the most important facts about mice is that they are attracted towards food that is rich in sugar.

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Facts About Mice

Friday, March 9th, 2012

Before trying to catch mice, you should be aware of some very interesting facts about mice. Mice are not known for anything beneficial to humans apart being the favorite for laboratory tests. They are disease carriers and cause a lot of damage to your house and its articles. All the house mice are unhealthy. They carry very serious diseases like plague, Trichinosis, Salmonella, Hantavirus, Leptospirosis, and Endemic Typhus among others. They also carry several parasites with them. They contaminate any food articles they touch by their mouth or feet. Mice are herbivores but research shows that they also consume non-vegetarian food. Any leftover food should be properly stored or disposed to prevent mice from touching it. All food articles must be kept away from the reaches of mice in non-chewable containers. A mouse bite can prove fatal for humans if not treated properly and in time owing to the places mice come from.

facts about mice

A female mouse has a gestation cycle of about 20 days. They start breeding at an age of 50 days and give birth to about 10-12 pups in a litter 6-10 times a year. The new born pups weigh around 1-1.5 grams and are red in color. Imagine their quantity after a year if your house has only two mice at the beginning of the year, and left to flourish. Female mice are known to care for babies not their own.  They make their nest near food sources and eat around 15-20 times a day. They sometimes eat their own droppings to acquire nutrients. No wonder why mouse traps and rat poison is so effective.

Mice are known to be similar to humans in behavior. The male mouse collects the food while the female mouse collects articles that are necessary for building a nest. They also share the same nest with their relatives. Much like the humans, mice also produce Vitamin-C in their body. The average age of mice is about 5 months but they can live up to an age of 2 years in laboratories. Their limited age outside is due to the presence of predators.

Mice are great listeners just like Cats and Dogs. They can hear ultrasonic frequencies too. That’s the reason they run away at the slightest sound. They are attracted towards sugar rich content like peanut butter and nuts. Mice are also worshipped in several cultures. One of the most important facts about mice is that their name comes from ‘mus’ which means a thief in Sanskrit.

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Interesting Facts About Mice

Friday, February 10th, 2012

facts about mice can be very interesting, and can also help you understand them if they have infested your house. They are actually quite impressive in what they are capable of, and how they work.

facts about mice

Baby mice are completely helpless when they are born. They can’t see, they can’t hear, and they have no fur. When they are less than 3 days old, their skin is so thin you can actually see their mother’s milk in their stomachs after they’ve nursed. Most wild mice will have a litter of 5 to 10 kits, though domesticated mice can sometimes have 15, or more. A mouse can begin reproducing at just two months old, and will go back into heat right after birth. With a gestation and nursing period of three weeks, a female mouse can continuously have a new litter of kits.

The average life span of a mouse is two years, though many wild mice will live much shorter and some domestic mice can live longer. They are very resilient, and can even survive falls of at least 12 feet (3.6 meters). They can climb almost as quickly as they can run, and rely heavily on their tail to help climb and to balance. Their tails will grow to be as long as their bodies.

Whiskers are essential to a mouse’s survival, more so than we realize. They are extremely sensitive and allow them to feel things like changes in temperature, the proximity of things, and how rough or sooth a surface is. Their eyesight is not great, so they rely on hearing and their whiskers more than sight. For this reason, they prefer less light, which allows their other senses to become heightened.

Mice have front teeth called incisors, which grow continuously throughout the life of the mouse. In just one year, their teeth will grow 5 inches (13 cm). That is the reason that mice do so much chewing. Chewing things like wood, cardboard, and wires help wear down their teeth, and keep them from becoming overgrown. Domestic mice can easily be taken to a veterinarian if that happens, but the wild mouse has to just keep chewing. If their incisors did get to long, they would not be able to eat, and would actually starve to death before very long.

Knowing these facts about mice can be helpful in understanding their behavior, and can help you get them out of your house if they have decided to come in during the winter because of the heat and availability of food.

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Some Facts About Mice

Sunday, January 29th, 2012

There are many facts about mice that you may not know. Whether you just find mice interesting, or are learning about them so you can solve a mouse problem in your house, here are some facts about the origin of mice and their habits.

facts about mice

Mice have been around for as long as humans. Although scientists don’t know for sure, they suspect that mice originated in Asia. From there, they began to spread throughout the world in caravans, and then on ships. For many years, people would cook mice to use as a cure for various diseases, such as coughing and smallpox.

Mice are prolific reproducers. They begin breeding at just two months old, and can then have one litter every 3 weeks. Each litter will contain 5 to 10 babies. Healthy domesticated mice can have up to 15. A female mouse’s gestation period is 3 weeks, which means that she can become pregnant immediately after giving birth, and will begin nursing her next litter as soon as the first is weaned. Fortunately, they only have a life span of 2 years.

Their eyesight is not actually that great, so they prefer dim light, because their other senses become more sensitive. As they are nocturnal, they don’t generally have to worry about the light. Mice also use their whiskers quite a bit when exploring their surroundings. Their whiskers can not only sense the location of things, but can distinguish between a rough and smooth surface and changes in temperature. Mice squeak frequently, but humans rarely hear it because most of their sounds are above the frequency level for humans.

The mouse’s tail is very important to the mouse’s survival, for several reasons. The tail not only helps the mouse balance while running on narrow ledges, but also has scales on it which helps the mouse climb. Their tail will grow to be as long as their bodies. Mice are well-known for chewing on things. Beyond getting into things to eat, mice chew because their teeth never stop growing. They will grow up to 5 inches (13 cm) in one year, so the mouse would become unable to eat if they let them get overgrown.

Most mouse infestations occur in the winter, because food becomes harder to find in the wild, and because of the cold. Mice are interesting creatures, and you can find many more facts about mice that will help you get them out of your house if they’ve decided to come in for warmth and food.

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Facts About Mice That Will Help You Get Rid Of Them

Friday, December 30th, 2011

It’s next to impossible to tackle a pest problem without knowing a few important facts about mouse.  These tidbits will help you target your approach to the issue and see results sooner.

facts about mice

1.  Mice are dirty.  There’s a good reason why some women scream when they see a mouse.  They can carry illnesses like trichinosis, salmonella, hantavirus, leptospirosis, and endemic typhus among others.  Some diseases are spread through mouse bites while others are spread via food contaminated with rodent droppings and urine.  Keep food safe from infection by keeping it inaccessible in hard plastic, metal, or glass containers.  

2.  Mice are constantly eating.  One reason for the success of the common house mouse is their ability to adapt to available food sources.  Though they are herbivores in the wild, these rodents will now also consume meat and dairy.  You can use this knowledge to your advantage by baiting traps with appetizing foods that will stick to the trap like peanut butter, squished pieces of fruit, or gooey candy.  The longer a mouse spends trying to release the treat, the more likely it will be caught.  

3.  Mice are great listeners.  Humans have inferior ears in comparison to most animals.  Mice can hear ultrasonic sounds, which are above human detection.  But that’s not always a good thing.  There are multiple consumer products available that make ultrasonic sounds in order to drive rodents away.  Though mice use these high frequencies for communication, a constant noise at that pitch will be annoying and they will avoid being in an area where they can hear it.

4.  Mice are someone’s dinner.  Mice, like many other small mammals, are low on the food chain due to their size.  Their natural predators include snakes, lizards, cats, dogs, rats, and birds of prey.  Instinct tells mice to fear these animals.  The presence of a dog or cat in your home may be enough to scare rodents away.  

5.  Mice are multipliers.  Rodents have the ability to quickly reproduce in staggering numbers.  Mice reach breeding age at 50 days old.  Their gestation period is just 20 days.  Each litter has an average of 5 to 7 baby mice.  These animals do truly multiple if given the opportunity.      

Now you have the knowledge necessary to begin an effective extermination campaign on your own.  Use these facts about mice against them before your pest problem gets out of control.  

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Top Five Facts About Mice

Monday, December 19th, 2011

You’ll need to learn the important facts about mice before you can devise a plan to get rid of them.  Knowing your enemy will lead to victory.

facts about mice

1.  Mice carry disease.  Besides giving unsuspecting damsels a fright, these intruders also bring serious infectious diseases such as salmonella, leptospirosis, hantavirus, endemic typhus, and trichinosis.  They’ve even been credited with helping to spread the Bubonic plague throughout Europe in the mid-1300s.  In a modern home, mice can transmit illness by contaminating food with urine and droppings.  To keep your family safe, make pest control a priority.

2.  Mice love our food.  In the wild, these animals are strictly herbivores but house mice have adapted to the food sources available in our homes.  They still primarily eat fruits and grains but will also eat meat and dairy products when available.  Their flexible diet has made them curious about unfamiliar foods, making poison a viable option for pest control.  Alternately, you could use sticky foods from your own refrigerator to bait traps.  Soft cheese, peanut butter, mashed fruits, and melty candies all make excellent lures.  Make sure to keep the rest of your food in strong containers to cut off the rest of their food supply.

3.  Mice have great hearing.  They can even hear ultrasonic noises (sounds that are higher than the human ear is capable of detecting). This strength helps them survive but it can also lead to their downfall.  There are several products on the market that use ultrasonic sounds to create an annoying, inhospitable environment to drive rodents away.  

4.  Mice are prey animals.  After all the bullying that mice do, it’s easy to forget that they’re usually the ones getting bullied.  Many predators have developed a taste for these small mammals.  In the wild, rats, lizards, cats, dogs, large carnivorous birds and  snakes will all gladly munch on a mouse.  Your own lazy tabby cat or family dog might still display some inherent hunting instincts.  Though it’s not advisable to encourage this activity due to possible spread of disease, the presence of a predator might be enough to scare rodents off by turning your inviting home into a danger zone.  

5.  Mice can reproduce quickly.  These rodents are ready to breed at just 50 days old.  Mother mice gestate for only 20 days.  Worst of all, the average litter size is 5 to 7.  The math is mind boggling.  Mice are able to reproduce in large numbers in a very short amount of time.  Even if your home has just one mouse, tackle your pest problem before it gets completely out of hand.  

Now use these invaluable facts about mice before they take over the remote control, too.  

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Interesting Facts About Mice

Saturday, December 3rd, 2011

A mouse is definitely an interesting creature and these facts about mice will only prove this. A mouse is actually a wonderful rodent which is highly misunderstood. Here are some of the interesting facts that you’d want to know.

facts about mice

To begin with the history of mice, you will be quite amazed to know that the rat and mouse bones have been found in caves where cavemen supposedly lived. This actually means that they did exist with the early man. Mice were originally found in the Asian continent and spread all over Europe before and coming to America through Spanish ships. Egyptians believed that mice could cure people. They were known to help treating diseases like whooping cough, small pox and even measles. A person with extreme stomach ache would be fed a cooked mouse to provide relief. This might sound unpleasant but it’s quite true.

A mouse is a tough creature. Though it has weak eyes, it has acute senses. They are so tough that if there is a scarcity of food, they can survive on inedible stuff like plastics, dirt and even small bits of metal. Mice are creatures that can survive in the most extreme conditions. Repost have suggested that they were found in the supplies used for polar expeditions .They can jump up to 12 feet without injury and they even can scale through tough vertical surfaces, using wires. They don’t need to consume water as they extract moisture out of the food they consume.

Mice are extensively used for lab experiments as they share a common homology with humans. When their genes were sequenced, it was found that they had a lot in common with humans who made them an ideal test subject. Also, they are preferred due to their small size and low maintenance. This also makes them good pets for those who don’t like to own high maintenance pets. However, they need to be protected from cats, birds and other such potential hazards.

Most scientists have also had a opinion that mice are better than dogs as security detectors. They can be specially trained to sniff out explosives and drugs and once they do, they trigger the alarm.

The above mentioned facts prove that mice though are a menace, can prove to be highly intelligent and tough creatures. These facts about mice are sure to change your opinion about them.

 

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Facts About Mice That You Will Be Amazed To Learn

Tuesday, November 15th, 2011

facts about mice

The word ‘mice’ brings goose bumps to many of us but one will be amazed to learn interesting facts about mice:

• The name mouse comes from “mus”, a Sanskrit word that means thief.

• A male mouse is called a duck and a female mouse is called a doe. A baby mouse is called a pinky or a kitten.

• The average mouse lives only 1-2 years.

• A fully-grown mouse weighs between 1/2 and 1 ounce.

• Mice are good swimmers but don’t prefer water much unless it is absolutely necessary. Mice can jump 12 feet without getting injured.

• They commonly nest in attics, cupboards, walls, stored boxes and other warm areas like cookers and under refrigerators.

• Mice eat 15-20 times per day. They eat anything that a human being eats.

• Mice are often called nibblers. They do not extensively damage any one food item; instead, they do small damages to many food items.

• A female house mouse can give birth to up to a dozen babies every three weeks. Mice can start having babies once they are 6-8 weeks old and produce 5-10 babies in each litter. That’s over 100 babies each year.

• Mice spread a lot of diseases. Even the smallest amount of mouse urine can trigger allergies, particularly in children.

• House mice produce hundreds of micro droplets of urine as they travel around their territory.

• Urine of mice has a fluorescent glow.

• Mice are capable of investigating any change in their territory. They also explore a new object placed.

• Mice stay very close to their territory and do not travel far. They build their homes close to sources of food.

• Mice have tails that are as long as their bodies. The tip of the tail is so sensitive that it may come off if you pick the mouse by its tail. Mouse tails have scales that help with climbing.

• Mice can make their own vitamin C.

• Mice do not vomit

• Mice are exceptionally clean. They organize their home into areas specific for shelter, food, and bathroom purposes.

• Apart from house mice, there are other pet varieties namely, fancy mice, spiny mice and zebra mice. Fancy mice have a variety of coat colors, spiny mice have shorter and more bristly fur, and zebra mice have attractive stripes marking their fur.

This not an exhaustive list and one can find numerous interesting facts about mice.

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Interesting Facts About Mice

Monday, October 24th, 2011

Mice are such a menace to mankind, but here a few amazing facts about mice:

• “mus”, a Sanskrit word for mouse which means thief.

• Depending on the gender, mouse are known as male mouse as a “duck”, female one as “doe” and a baby one as “pinky or a kitten”

• The life span of a mouse is 1-2 years.

• The weight of the full grown mouse varies between ½ and 1ounce.

• Unless it is necessary mice don’t prefer water even though they are good swimmers. Without being hurt, they can jump up to 12 feet.

• They mostly reside in areas like cookers, under refrigerators, walls, stored boxes etc.

• Mice eat anything they get at least 15-120 times per day.

• Mice spoil many food products as they are also known as nibblers.

• The population of mice is 100 per year as a it can give birth to babies if they are 8 weeks old and breed up to 5-10babies in one go.

• With its urine it can spread a lot of diseases, which also cause allergies among children.

• Mice roam all over the places and pass micro droplets of urine.

• Mice’s urine has fluorescent glow.

• Mice are good at experimenting new things and also responsible for any change in any place.

• Mice reside in places which are very close to the food products placed at our place.

• Mice have very long tails which help them in climbing. As the tail of the mouse is sensitive, it is difficult to catch.

• Vitamin C in mice is made by itself.

• No vomit for mice

• Mice organize their place meant for shelter, food, bathroom purposes in a very tidy way.

• There are different types of mice like spiny mice, which has shorter and bristly fur, fancy mice has different coat colors, zebra mice has their fur made by stripes which makes them beautiful.

Above mentioned are a very few facts about mice.

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