# mice and heat



## SarahC (Oct 3, 2008)

just a reminder to any new mice keepers with mice in a shed.Mice do not tolerate heat very well and if you have a window or have opened the shed door to allow the air to circulate you must be really alert to the shifting sun.If a shaft of sunlight falls on your cages then the mice will quickly die of heat stroke.I have a lot of cages so I've fetched some out and put under a gazebo so that heat doesn't build up in the shed.Only ok if you are about though because of predators.I have covered the shed window to block the sun rays.If you are going to any shows don't leave mice in the car,leave them in the hall or marquee,no one will mind


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## laoshu (Sep 16, 2009)

good post Sarah , I am constantly worrying about my mice in this weather... my mouse shed is direct in the face of the sun and gets really hot...
This year its not as bad as it has been since I painted the roof with this

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ALUMINIUM-SOLAR-R ... 3396wt_752

It really does help, the black roof I had before acted like a radiator but now stays quite cool (although in temps this high you cant rule out all the risk)
The front of my shed has a white sheet up against it at the moment to reflect the sun away and at the same time give some shade. I also have a gazebo up in case I need to evacuate anything but at the moment the shed is staying the same temps that is in the shade on the out side.
I just want it to cool down for them.


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## jadeguppy (Jun 4, 2011)

Wow, I gotta say that it sounds odd hearing people in the UK worry about it getting too hot. What is the temp there? I grew up in Florida, so upper 90's with a het index over 100 is when I boycott the outdoor. That is unless there is the beach or a pool involved. 

Now you've got me worrying what to do with the mice if the power goes out.


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## SarahC (Oct 3, 2008)

it's 30 degrees here today,we don't really do air con,not generally much call.


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## Wight Isle Stud (May 19, 2010)

if urgent measures are required, spray the shed on the outside with the hosepipe, water is delivered at abot 64 degres.it will cool it down very quickly.dont let it happen twice to you.


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## SarahC (Oct 3, 2008)

Wight Isle Stud said:


> if urgent measures are required, spray the shed on the outside with the hosepipe, water is delivered at abot 64 degres.it will cool it down very quickly.dont let it happen twice to you.


I like that tip.I'm lucky enough to finish work before midday so can lower my top row or like today put some outdoors(undercover) but if I get an emergency I'll surely give that a go.


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## Wight Isle Stud (May 19, 2010)

if it helps anyone, my shed has an inner roof lining, and walls, then 100 mil insulation, then an outside layer of ply, then a 2" gap and sheets of profiled roofing tin to the outside world. temperatre this afternoon between the tin and outer roof layer was 124, inside the insulation in the roof space 75. shed 75, top four inches at roof level 80. fan on and 75 all over. very acceptable to the mice. even with a purpose built shed, I still have to worry about air temperatures, but have designed out the greenhouse effect of temperature accumilation in a shed. excess heat inside can be vented in the time honoured way with lo level ventilation on end, high level the other.


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## jadeguppy (Jun 4, 2011)

Wow wight, I wish my storage shed was like that. I keep the mice indoors due to the extreme temperatures here, but going into the shed for supplies is not what I want to do in the summer. Do you have a picture of your shed? It sounds like a future project...

Sarah, thank you for the reminder on heat. What do you consider the upper range for mouse health?


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## geordiesmice (Oct 26, 2010)

I took all my mice inside today in a cool room, it was far too warm in the shed even with windows open.When I took them inside I changedall there water and again tonight.


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## Megzilla (Oct 12, 2009)

The heat wave on sunday did not effect my mice at all  It was so cool in their shed, I couldn't believe it! It's placed in such a way where it doesn't get cold in winter, it doesn't get hot in summer, if there's any strong winds it doesn't get effected and it doesn't get rained on. I have a plastic shed, and part of it's features is that you can take off the sheet of plastic that acts as a window, but leave in the frame. I have replaced this with wire mesh and fly screen. keeps the bugs and the big'uns out, while providing ventilation and cool air. I have no problems of mice getting drafty and snuffly, and if the odd one does get sick, it's just in the new stock through stress of moving etc. If anyone can do the same with their shed windows (if it can be done) then I recommend it, but consider the placement of your shed, it plays a big role!


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## Laigaie (Mar 7, 2011)

Our AC was out for three days, and finally came back today. It got 90 indoors with no breeze and plenty of humidity. I set up a fan in our animal room, and though they seemed a bit... sweaty? Almost like when a rat gets greasy? they were fine. No losses, nobody looking sick. Just a whole lot of napping mice who didn't feel like running on wheels. That and they went through their water like crazy, but we all did.


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## cjdelphi (Mar 23, 2011)

That's precisely what happens here in Australia, mine just lay down like a cat or dog does pants a bit, as long as there's air flow, a fan, a breeze, 90f wont harm them... petshops here have a 30c limit but at 30c nothing will happen to them, but when it hit's 45c 100+ then I start to worry...

If they look dehydrated, go put a 2 liter bottle of water in the freeze, just before the water freezes, take it out and replace their own water with the super cold water, maybe even a dish of cold water so they can stick their noses in.... but don't worry too much, the cold kills them way way faster than heat does.


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## SarahC (Oct 3, 2008)

lots of extra factors count,are the cages stacked,how many animals per cage, are they pregnant .The first obvious sign of serious distress is wet round the mouth and chin which will continue to spread down the neck,between the front legs and right to the belly by which time it's to late to save them.Mice lethargic and stretched out are fine,just what I'd like to do .


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## Galaxy (May 25, 2011)

My mice are in my dining room on top of a cupboard - the top high enough to keep them out of drafts and little hands away from them. Had the kitchen window and dining room door open so there was a cross breeze. They are out of the way of direct sunlight throughout the whole day but kept the curtains shut (except for a tiny gap to keep the heat down) .There wasn't much activity - just a lot of stretched out sleepy mice. Tonight a totally different scene. All busy on their wheels and munching on their millet. Am remembering to change their water daily (cos I know I certainly don't like drinking unfresh water!)


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## Lou-Fraser (Sep 19, 2009)




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## Galaxy (May 25, 2011)

They didn't get their tongues stuck on the icecube???


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## Lou-Fraser (Sep 19, 2009)

no i sucked it for a bit first :roll: :lol:


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## Galaxy (May 25, 2011)

Oh ok. :lol:


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## morning-star (Apr 9, 2011)

Ice cube thats a brill idea!


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## Stina (Sep 24, 2010)

> but don't worry too much, the cold kills them way way faster than heat does.


I think its quite the opposite....my mice tend to fare better in the cold than the heat...they all just huddle together when its cold and make big nests to stay warm. When its hot they can't escape it. Excess heat is generally more dangerous to most animals than excess cold. Though that said, I think mice are much hardier than they are often given credit for and so long as they are kept properly fed and watered they rarely have problems associated with temperatures.


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## SarahC (Oct 3, 2008)

Stina said:


> Excess heat is generally more dangerous to most animals than excess cold.


I agree with you 100%.


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## MouseHeaven (Oct 25, 2010)

I was so worried about my mice a few weeks ago! I dedicate a whole room to them upstairs in my house (way too many cages and racks to have scattered around the house), I keep the windows open with window fans in on exhaust (to elimate all and any odors since we keep them in the house, by the way-it works amazing!). I keep the AC on 70 degrees for them and they are in a room that has full shade all day. It is always comfortable when I go in and they are always happy, healthy looking meeces. But, at the begining of spring, our AC broke, throughout the whole house, and of course we were having a major heat wave that lasted a few weeks, the outside temp. stayed about 90-100 degrees the whole time. :wall So immediately I turned the fans from exhaust to cool, which took the temperature of the room down a few degrees, but it was still almost 93 degrees in there the whole time. Everyday I would try to put small ice cubes in their water, and gives them as few shavings as possible. I tried nearly every trick in the book, but they were still sweating and barely moving. I thank god for not letting the heat wipe out my entire stock- not a single one died. But I do think it may effect them in the long run. Extreme heat can cause numerous damages on a small; either way, I was so surprised and happy they lived and still are.


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## MouseHeaven (Oct 25, 2010)

We would've gotten it fixed, but it costed us nearly $2500 to do so, we just declared bankruptsy and are completely broke. We went without AC for a little over two months in that heat. Pure torture.


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