Will Mice Leave if No Food Source?

Will mice leave if no food source? Well, mice will leave your home if you eliminate the food source. However, it’s possible that they can nest in your home if it feels comfy while feeding on your next-door neighbor’s property.

There are several methods to eliminate mice in your home, including mouse traps, baited traps, all-natural solutions, and electronic deterrents. However, your first move should be to remove their sources of food and water.

Knowing how long it takes for mice to die from dehydration and starvation is important, as it would help you when it comes to deciding on other methods of elimination.

Will mice leave if no food source?

Generally, mice will leave if there is no food source. Just secure your food in sealed containers and leave no chunks behind. According to the Merck Manual, an adult mouse will eat 3 to g of food and will drink up to 3 to 5 mL of water.

Food

Mice can go 2 to 4 days without food, as they are much more dependent on food than water. They like to nibble on a morsel or two before taking one for the road, so they do not need to sit down to a full fest before they are satisfied.

Environmental conditions factor in how long mice can survive without food. For instance, a wild mouse will need to have high energy levels in the cold temperatures of the wild while sprinting from one hiding place to another to avoid predators. On the other end, domestic mice will need far less energy when they are feeling cozy in a place filled with lots of food close by and free of predators.

Water

The survival of mice is dependent on water, and there are times when they resort to either direct or indirect sources of water.

Read also: are you sure you don’t have multiple mice?

For direct water in your home, mice can get water from your home through sources such as:

• condensation around wall pipes
• drain water
• sink water
• pet water bowls

In the wild, mice can get water directly from:

• puddles
• streams
• lakes
• other natural water resources

For indirect water, mice can go a month or more without consuming direct water. They can extract water from the food they consume, which is their usual means of getting hydrated. Even dry foods have enough water to hydrate a mouse.

Are there mice in your home or workspace?

Mice only come out to forage for food at night—they are nocturnal, pesky creatures. However, they leave clues of their presence, so look for the following signs:

• a live mouse in any part of your room;
• your food or food packaging has chew marks;
• squeaking sounds when mice are socializing;
• mice urine with a pungent odor;
• noisy crawling mice at night make in your ceilings and behind the walls;
• stained walls with grease trails as mice bodies are greasy and dirty; and
• mice droppings. They eat a lot, like 15 to 20 times a day. Their poop looks like tiny pellets and could be soft and wet or hard and dry;

Generally, you should notice chewed pieces in the infested area. The incisors of mice continue to grow, so they need to make it stop by constantly chewing on stuff like cardboard, water pipes, boxes, electric cables, magazines, and newspapers. You should notice gnaw marks in your home or workplace.

Keeping mice at bay

Get rid of mice with the following tips:

1. Put your food inside sealed containers so that once there is no food for them to eat, mice will leave. Your home becomes a haven for mice if you have food scattered around.

2. Points of entry for mice, even as small as a nickel, should be sealed off. Mice can squeeze through any small cracks, crevices, and holes that are not in their quest for food.  It’ll interest you to know that mice can get through a small, 6-7 mm hole (about the diameter of a normal-sized pen), according to SSSB.

3. Cut off sources of water by getting a plumber to fix your leaky pipes and faucets.

4. Do not allow dirty dishes to remain in your sink till the next day.

5. Get rid of food crumbs by regularly sweeping and moping the floors and vacuuming the furniture and carpets. However, make sure you don’t vacuum mice evidence like their droppings—here’s why.

6. Your trash can should have a tight lid. Also, make sure to dispose of it regularly.

7. Only put the amount of food your pet can eat at once in the pet bowl.

Contact a pest control agency

Another big favor you can do to your home is to call a pest exterminator. Do not fret if you are feeling overwhelmed by the problem of mice infestation. With just a phone call, you can have your local pest control company check in and resolve mice issues with humane, professional methods.

Only get a pest control service that employs safer, more convenient, and more effective techniques. Of course, you do not want the application of non-family/pet-friendly methods on your property—that can be harmful to health.