Mice in Nature

Did you know that mice get attached to one another, love their families and friends, and enjoy playing with them? They even help each other when one of their own is in trouble!

Mice Who Come Into Our Homes Don’t Want to Hurt Us

Even though mice are a lot like us, some people think of them as “pests” and hurt them when they get inside.

Sometimes, humans kill mice using glue traps. This is a really mean way to kill animals, because the traps cause a slow, painful, and terrifying death. Glue traps are also dangerous to other small animals, like birds and even cats and dogs, who might get stuck to the sticky boards. They can cause disease to spread to humans, too.

Mice in Nature Are Just Like Us

Mice are very social animals who talk to each other using high-pitched sounds that our ears can’t hear. They’ve even been recorded “singing” like birds! These animals play with each other, wrestle, and love sleeping curled up together. Like humans, they can get lonely and sad if they’re kept all alone. Mice feel pain, too, and we shouldn’t kill them.

Your Family Can Make Your Home Mouse-Proof Without Hurting Anyone

We don’t want to share our homes with mice (unless they’re our companions), and luckily, there are some humane ways to keep them out. Here are just a few for you and your family:

• Make sure there are no crumbs on your kitchen counters or floors.
• Put all dry food (including dog and cat food) in containers that mice can’t chew through.
• Seal trash bags closed, and pick up your animal companions’ food at night.
• Pick up fruits and vegetables that have fallen from your trees or grown in your garden.

Once your family has figured out where mice are coming in, you can keep them out by putting a rag soaked in ammonia near the opening, as mice don’t like the smell. You can also turn on a radio and play rock music—they don’t like the sound.

When you see that they’ve left, your grown-up can seal up the holes. That should keep any mice out of your home!

Want to do more to help mice in nature? Share this information with your family and friends so they can be a friend to mice, too.