Mus Musculus Diet

Most people with a rodent problem are looking for ways to get rid of these furry creatures. But the house mouse, or mus musculus, will continue to thrive in places where its dietary needs are being met.

  1. Wild House Mouse

    • The house mouse is a nocturnal animal, which means it mainly searches for food at night. These mice are somewhat active during the day, as well, especially when searching for food for their young. If a house mouse is living in the wild, the rodent will feed on alfalfa hay, as well as the stems and leaves of plants. Mice will eat the seeds of some plants.

    Domestic House Mouse

    • A house mouse that lives in a home or near a store or restaurant will eat just about anything that humans consume, but these mice prefer to eat grains and seeds whenever possible. The mice easily digest fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as meat and dairy products. The mice make their homes in the crevices of walls and floorboards, and will often burrow into large packages of food, making the food in the packages unfit for human consumption.

    Eating Habits

    • The mus musculus eats very little every day; the typical house mouse only consumes about 3 g of food every day, or 8 lbs. of food each year. Even though these animals do not eat a great amount of food, they ruin much more food than they eat because they are nibblers, leaving pieces of unfinished food behind. The house mouse does not require large amounts of water for survival; these rodents get their necessary water intake from food, but will drink water when it is available.

    Baby Mice

    • Since house mice are mammals, young mice are nursed for the first three weeks of life. After this, the young mice make short excursions from the nest to search for food. After the mice are able to eat solid food, they are weaned, and begin eating grains and seeds, along with small meat particles, on a regular basis. A female house mouse can have up to 10 litters per year, with five or six mice in each litter.

    Predators

    • While the mus musculus can be a nuisance to farmers and homeowners, there are a number of animals that will consume the house mouse as food. Owls, particularly barn owls, and hawks consume house mice often, and can be very effective in keeping the mouse population to a minimum. Dogs and skunks are predators of the house mouse, and some house cats can be trained to hunt and kill house mice.