# strange death



## cmfarm (Sep 24, 2014)

This morning I went to go check on my daughters mice and found 1 dead. This mouse had escaped and was running around the house for about a month before we caught it and had been back with the other mice for about 6 weeks or so. I had found it strange that it was in with all the mice (with the male) and never got pregnant. Well when I went to get it out it's lower half was cover in some kind of strange little creatures. They appeared to be coming from out of the mouse's anus (not sure if they really where coming out or maybe trying to get in). At first I thought they were worms of some sort but when I looked really close I noticed they had small legs. So I was looking up mouse mites but it said they are brownish colored while these where kind of whitish opaque like. They where about the size of a pin head and there where thousands of them. I inspected the other mice and saw no signs of parasites on them at all. And before she died she looked healthy, she had all her fur and seemed to be in good condition and weight. Anyone have any ideas?


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## SarahC (Oct 3, 2008)

they sound like lice.All parasites are masters at staying undetected.It would be best to treat all your mice and their environment with insecticide.Better to be safe than sorry.


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## cmfarm (Sep 24, 2014)

Thank you for your response. I actually figured out that they where grain mites. I was looking around on another mouse forum and someone had problems with them too. Apparently they are harmless to the mice and can live in animal food. The mouse that died was next to the food dish. I think she may have died due to fighting. We had just reintroduced several mice that had just weaned there babies and there was some fighting going on.


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## SarahC (Oct 3, 2008)

grain mite has a distinctive smell and is found in food that has sat on shop shelves for to long.Might be worth considering changing suppliers.


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