Mice are small, adaptable rodents found globally. They seek shelter and resources, thriving in diverse settings from urban centers to natural landscapes.
Indoor Dwellings
Inside human structures, mice establish homes in basements, attics, and concealed wall spaces. Kitchens are attractive due to food availability, leading mice to hide behind cabinets and appliances like stoves, refrigerators, and dishwashers. Cluttered areas in garages, closets, and storage spaces also provide protection and potential nesting materials.
Mice can fit through cracks as tiny as a quarter-inch wide, roughly the size of a pencil, due to their flexible rib cages. This allows them to enter homes through gaps around foundations, doorways, garage doors, and utility lines. Once inside, they construct nests from readily available soft materials such as insulation, shredded paper, fabric, and furniture stuffing.
Indoor nesting sites are found in wall voids, under furniture, inside infrequently inspected storage boxes, and even behind toilets or sinks where moisture might be present. Female mice may select spots near water heaters for warmth when rearing young. The presence of mice indoors is indicated by droppings, gnaw marks, or scratching noises within walls, especially at night.
Outdoor Environments
Mice inhabit fields, forests, and areas with dense vegetation. They seek shelter in underbrush, tall grasses, shrubs, and woodpiles, which provide cover from predators. Mice can also be found burrowing in soil, under rocks, or within tree cavities and old stumps.
Some species, like deer mice, prefer forests and brushy areas, while others, such as field mice, inhabit meadows and grasslands. In agricultural landscapes, mice find abundant food sources in croplands and gardens. Urban outdoor environments also support mouse populations, with common locations including alleyways, parks, and green spaces, especially near trash dumpsters.
Mice construct nests in outdoor areas using natural materials such as shredded plants, leaves, and animal fur. Burrows can extend up to 70 cm deep and 20 meters in total length, serving as places for raising offspring, storing food, and escaping danger. Seasonal changes influence where mice live outdoors, with many moving closer to human structures as temperatures drop.
Habitat Selection Factors
The choice of a living space for mice, whether indoors or outdoors, is driven by fundamental needs. A consistent food source is a major determinant, as mice require a steady supply of energy. They are attracted to areas with readily available food, such as kitchens, pantries, gardens, and unsealed trash bins. Mice are omnivores, eating grains, seeds, fruits, insects, and even carrion in the wild, but indoors they will consume almost anything accessible.
Access to water is also crucial. Although mice can survive on minimal water intake, often obtaining moisture from their food, they will readily drink from available sources. Leaky pipes, condensation, pet water bowls, and damp areas like basements can provide sufficient hydration. The presence of a reliable water source makes a location more appealing for mice.
Shelter and protection from predators and environmental elements are important. Mice seek secluded, undisturbed areas, including wall voids, attics, basements, and cluttered spaces indoors, or dense vegetation, burrows, and woodpiles outdoors. These spaces offer concealment and reduce their exposure to threats.
Warmth and temperature regulation are important, especially in colder climates. Mice are small mammals that rapidly lose body heat, so they instinctively seek warm environments to conserve energy. This often drives them indoors during colder months, where insulated walls and central heating provide refuge. They prefer temperatures ranging from 27.7 to 28.6°C for maintenance and inactive behaviors.
The availability of nesting material is a key factor. Mice use various soft, fibrous materials to build their nests, including shredded paper, fabric, insulation, cardboard, and plant debris. These materials allow them to construct high-quality, heat-retaining nests.