frozen mice

[WhiteTiger9188]

what is the best way to thatw out frozen mice?

Im feeding fresh killed right now.

Also, How long are mice good for if they are in a freezer?

[JLC]

The quickest way to thaw them out is to put the mouse(s) in a ziplock baggie and put that baggie into a bowl of hot tap water. You don't want to use overheated water because you don't want to risk cooking the mice to any degree...but really hot water straight from the tap should be fine. The time it takes to thaw depends on the size and number of rodents. You may have to change out the water when it cools.

Another way is to put the rodent in the fridge to thaw the night before you want to feed it. Then warm it in the hot water as mentioned above, but you don't have to worry about the innards still being frozen or anything. Warming under a heat lamp is another preferred method.

Most important things to remember is that you MUST thaw/warm the mouse all the way through. Frozen innards could make your snake very sick. And on the flip side...don't let it get cooked!

They can stay good in the freezer for months, especially if they're vacuum sealed. But once I break the seal on the bundle of mice, I double-bag mine in heavy-duty freezer bags and haven't had any problems with freezer burn or going bad. And just FYI...freezer burn isn't harmful to the snake...it just makes the rodent less palatable so a picky eater may refuse it.

[WhiteTiger9188]

thanks for the tips

[JLC]

My pleasure.

I just thaw my rodents out in hot (not scalding hot, but hot nontheless) water in a bowl. Works fine. In fact, most of my snakes won't eat unless their meal is wet.

[Marla]

Whereas mine like them stinking like mice, which they don't if they're wet. Different preferences for different snakes.