How long do mice live? Mice is botanically known as Mus Musculus, it belongs to Rodentia’s order. Mice is a small mammal that has big round ears, sharp snout, and sharp snout, they are several factors that determine how long mice live.
Read also:Â Drugstore Beetles: Facts, Infestation and How to Get Rid of it
The Lifecycle of Mice
A complete life cycle starts from birth and ends at death, the life cycle of mice beings after female mice have mated with the male mice and they both have the capability of reproduction. After mating and the female mice takes in, in a period of 6 weeks the pup is delivered and the female mice are ready for nursing.
These pups are born without hairs that are there is no fur on their skin, they also have no ear and with no capability of seeing, these make them helpless and blind. However, the female mice nurses her pups for 3 weeks with fast growth after 3 days their ear is fully grown in a space of 7 days hair start growing and before 10 days their fur is all grown.
The pup won’t be able to see until they are a week or 2 weeks old, after 3 weeks the mother is done nursing them and they are now fully grown ready to go in search of food and new habitat. Once the pup is 6 weeks old of age, the mother is now sexually ready to reproduce. The mice seem to reproduce more in summer and less in winter.
Read also:Â Sow Bug; Important Facts About Sow Bug and Infestation
The Lifespan of Mice
The lifespan of mice isn’t that long, mice don’t live longer than a year or a year and 6 months. They are small creatures and as a result, they have lots of predators preying on them such as snakes, birds, ferret, weasels, red fox, mongoose, and other scaled reptiles. These predators shorten the lifespan of mice. In surroundings where these predators are found less, the rate at which these mice breeds increases.
However, this happens in the wild for mice which are pets or breed in the laboratory, they seem to leave longer than the wild mice.
Another factor that determines the lifespan of a mice is the species, the common house mice are botanically known as mus musculus has a lifespan of 9 to 12 months, the deer mice botanically known as Peromyscus maniculatus has a lifespan of 2 to 14 months, and the white-footed mouse botanically known as Peromyscus leucopus has a lifespan of 12 to 24 months.
Moreover, illness is another factor that determines the lifespan of mice, just applicable to humans, cancer is a major cause of death observed in the lifespan of mice. Any mice having this illness is liable to suffer severe heat and kidney failure. All the factors mentioned determine the lifespan of mice having in mind that naturally, they don’t really live long.
Read also:Â Pill Bug; Fact, Habitat, Lifecycle, Species, and Appearance
How long do mice live as pets?
As we mentioned earlier, they are several factors that sustain your pet mice, however, the lifespan of mice isn’t really long but feeding your pet mice with the appropriate diet, good habitat, and some workout activities.
As pet mice usually live longer than wild mice because all the care and attention it needs will be given. How long do mice live as a pet? Giving a suitable answer to this question, the lifespan of mice as a pet is 9 months to a year while wild mice would survive up to 6 to 9 months.
Read also: Mice hibernation
How long can mice live without food?
As far as life is concerned, food is an essential substance needed for survival, no living being can survive for long without food. In the case of a mouse, it is different, a mouse seeks a hideout in places where they seem to be excess food, however, these places could be a home, a food store or food processing factor. How long can mice live without food? Answering this, mice can starve for 2 – 4 days without food, after this they hydrate and eventually die if they don’t feed. Some people might ask why hydrate? Mice get most of their water I’ll prefer to call it moisture from the food they eat as a result when they starve, they hydrate and die.
How to prevent mice infestation
Are you a house owner, storekeeper, or caretaker? Are mice infesting your home or workplace? Mice can be classified into a pest or pet when an infestation is concern leaving mice in your home possess lots of threat to home or workplace.
However, there are various ways in which you can prevent mice infestation. Below are ways to prevent mice infestation.
- Firstly, you need to discover their hideout.
- Mice prefer to seek habitat in a basement, all seal, cracks, and openings should be fixed.
- Keep food and food product stored in airtight container and storage equipment they can infest.
- Dispose of waste properly.
- Get rid of the damp and moisture area around you.
In serious infestation cases, ensure to contact any pest control expert near you for proper elimination and control. For contact information, questions or help, contact us, we are happy to help you.
About The Author
Discover more from Pestclue
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.