How Long Can a Mouse Live Without Food or Water?

Mice can only survive a few days without food and water, but they can survive much longer with just food as their primary source of water. 

Foods that we would typically throw out for being too dry can still house enough moisture for a mouse to survive. Therefore, mouse traps are vital for maintaining rodent population control in your home. 

How long can a mouse live without food?

Mice have lots of energy and need lots of food to sustain that need. Mice can only go two to four days without food before succumbing to death. 

They don’t necessarily need to eat much. Mice like to nibble here and there, never really gorging themselves. So mice go without food for only so long before they get desperate. 

Mice will undoubtedly hoard things, even food, but they will only eat a small amount, albeit more frequently than humans. 

Controlling any possible food sources for mice in your home is key to preventing a possible infestation. No need to call a professional pest control service if you actively do what you can to avoid a problem in the first place. 

How long can a mouse survive without water?

The opposite is true of mice regarding their need for water and overall water consumption. A mouse could survive over a month without a drop of water. Yes, you read that correctly. Mice live long weeks without water but need food frequently, at least every other day. 

Mice don’t need water like us humans need water. We could survive longer without food than without water. For mice, drinking water isn’t as much of a necessity. Even pet mice can go long periods without water, but not food, or you’ll have a dead mouse. For such small creatures, they certainly are resilient animals when it comes to food and water. 

What is the food mice like to eat?

Mice are omnivorous and therefore eat both meat and vegetables, but they generally prefer seeds, fruit, and vegetables as their primary food source. 

The grains, oats, granola, and cereals in your cupboards will be prime targets for mice. Although they are known to love cheese, cheese isn’t readily accessible, and they prefer foods higher in carbohydrates. 

Mice are not picky eaters and will go so far as to eat cardboard and paper to get their food supply needs met for the day. Therefore, to practice good mouse control, keep your foods tightly packaged and packaged properly! Glass is the way to go if that option is available. 

Mice will destroy large food supplies; one mouse infestation can wipe out a kitchen cupboard faster than you think. Eliminating food crumbs and storing food in proper containers are keys to controlling mice problems. 

How long can a baby mouse live without food?

The average lifespan of a mouse is two to three years, give or take a year, depending on the type of mouse and its environmental conditions, especially that of food and water. 

Like adults, baby mice can live for up to two days and rarely until the fourth day without food. Mice desperately need food to survive and will begin eating away at the wallpaper, chewing up the whole house. Without food and water, mice can only live for a few days, so there are other options you can use to tackle your mouse infestation, like with traps. 

Knowing how long mice survive without food or water can help you plan a method of killing an infestation.

Some people are unaware that they have a mouse problem until you get that rotten smell and notice mice everywhere. At that point, you are more than likely dealing with a severe infestation and need to keep a watch on your electrical wires; mice are notorious for chewing through them. 

Where do mice tend to live?

Mice will find places of standing water or running water for easy access when they need it. They will build small holes for themselves out of wooden logs or even your home and garden to avoid predators. 

They will use many methods to create a safe environment to stay alive in and raise young, so to get rid of mice and deal with your rodent problem once and for all, you need to be thorough with the mouse traps, especially the snap traps. 

What other animals are household pests that eat and live similarly to mice?

Rat food and mouse food are basically the same meal. Rats love seeds, grains, and vegetables, but some go their whole lives without trying a fruit! 

Rodents only drink enough water to get them through the day and can even get water through the moisture in their meals. They need as much food like mice, and usually more due to the size of the rat. How long can mice go without water is impressive, but rodents can go even longer. 

Both mice and rats drink water as we do, and they need at least some food to make it through the day. But they can do something we can’t; they can get enough water from their food sources to survive long over a month. 

They can even survive with minimal food, just like house mice can go weeks without water. Rats, too, can survive the days with minimal food, as long as there is enough moisture in their food source. 

Conclusion

Keeping your house clean is paramount to avoiding a mouse infestation. 

Mice live without food for two to four days before succumbing to death, so there are many other methods you can use to begin attacking your mouse problem.

 If you own a small store, check for indirect water sources a mouse could use for directly consuming water; how much water a mouse or rodent, such as a rat, depends on its size. 

Once you have discovered rodents in your home, the best thing you can do is to call a professional for a thorough evaluation and an experienced recommendation.