


How Often Do Wild Mice Need to Eat?

By Kristie Karns

David De Lossy/Photodisc/Getty Images

The life spans of pet mice and wild mice are about the same, around 2.5 to 3 years; and their diets are similar. Mice eat nearly constantly, thanks to their demanding metabolisms. Mice are omnivores; in the wild their diets vary. They consume wide varieties of fruits, nuts, berries, seeds and meats.

How Often Wild Mice Eat

Wild mice eat as often as they can, sometimes 15 to 20 times a day, depending on the availability of food. Mice are energetic animals with fast metabolisms, so they require a lot of food each day. When food is plentiful, mice often store it for times of scarcity by utilizing old abandoned animal burrows or empty nests, cavities beneath rocks or bricks, or even the nooks and crannies of old buildings and homes.

How Often Pet Mice Eat

Pet mice do best when their owners keep food available for them at all times. Pet mice eat often, just as their wild counterparts do. They have the same nutritional needs -- so a wide variety of seeds, berries, other fruits, nuts and proteins and even some people foods, such as peanut butter or crackers will serve them. Mice do not overeat; they consume only what they need.

Types of Protein Wild Mice Eat

Wild mice eat a lot of insects, including grasshoppers, crickets, beetles, caterpillars, insect larvae and pupae, worms, centipedes, moths, butterflies and snails, among others. Sometimes mice eat animals that are smaller and slower than they are, including baby mice or other young rodents, as well as the occasional tiny bird. A mouse will steal and eat a bird's egg from a nest.

Plants That Wild Mice Eat

Wild mice often eat plant materials such as acorns, pecans, blueberries, cherries, grapes, strawberries, pine seeds, poplar seeds, violets, maple seeds, hickory nuts, beech nuts and the tiny seedlings of black cherry trees. Wild mice also consume root plants such as potatoes and carrots, and fungi such as mushrooms. They also raid gardens and take bites out of vegetables growing there, including tomatoes, peas, corn, bell peppers, radishes and beans, among other garden plants.

Photo Credits

  • David De Lossy/Photodisc/Getty Images

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