How to cool off my mice?

[Klogue1]

I have 4 feeder mice in an aquarium that will be eaten off eventually, but in the mean time I need them alive! I feed my ball python live now after much debate with myself.

I understand that mice require cool temperatures, right? I have a digital probe thermometer in their cage that reads 75.5 right now, which is too high from what I've read.

I keep my mice in my room because we don't have a basement and the garage is not air conditioned; and with this odd warm-winter weather lately the temperatures here in central illinois have been pretty high for this time of year, 75 to 85 average lately if I recall correctly. We have air conditioning but it doesn't seem to be doing much. I have the cage placed directly under my window, which is open (with a screen) and a fan blowing by the cage. I've also put a large cereal bowl filled with water behind the fan to see if that helps (though I'm not sure if that acts the same as a humidifier, which would greatly hinder the goal I'm trying to reach... lol). Even with all this it's still not bringing the temps down

I am honestly not sure what to try next. I lost one mouse already in less than a day (the day before he was completely fine, I considered disease but I really believe it's the temperature). I considered a dehumidifier, but not sure if it affects mice the same as humans. It doesn't necessarily lower the room temperature but it makes us feel cooler.

Thank you very much for any help!! I do not want these mice to suffer any more than they have to (as in being eaten. haha).

[Mike41793]

I have no idea how to keep mice. But have you tried freezing a water bottle and placing it in the tank? It should stay cold for awhile and the mice can drink the condensation. Then once it melts you just wipe it off and refreeze it. If the mice are hot they can just snuggle up next to it. And if they get cold move back to the other side of the tank.

[Klogue1]

I could try that, thank you! I will see how it goes.

[C&H Exotic Morphs]

I haven't breed mice, but have keep uneaten ones for a week or two for picky eaters and I don't think 75 degrees is to high. Our house is always between 76-81 degrees and we never had issues with any feeders dying from the "heat". Do your mice have access to food and water?

[Klogue1]

Yes, I give them a water bottle and a bowl of lab blocks that they tend to grind into dust, haha. I didn't think they should have a problem with warm temperatures either, but I read on several websites that their bodies aren't accustomed to warm weather, but I can't say for sure myself. I will look up some more on feeders to see what other people do.

[wolfy-hound]

Usually when I've had rats get too hot, they are wet(on the fur) when they are in distress or dead. Are the mice showing anything like that?

I would think 75f isn't so high as to kill them. I agree on the frozen water bottle. You could also freeze big 2 liters and put against the outside of the tank. The cold will come through the glass, but the mice can't chew into the bottle and flood the tank slowly as it melts.

[Klogue1]

Ok, thank you much wolfy! I was actually wondering if I overreacted and the temperature wasn't high enough to be drastic to them. I don't think I'd say it's wet, but it almost looks like "baby fur", not really sure how to describe it so I took a picture:


Sorry, for some reason the light from the camera was acting up and wouldn't adjust. But I don't think it looks very wet or damp, just sort of like wha tI said "baby fur," I don't really know how else to describe it lol. Like it's so soft but thin? Sorry if I confuse you and/or you don't understand! XD But the picture basically explains it I suppose.
But like when they stand up or look around the fur on the back of their necks is "thinned out" as well, I guess what I mean is like they're growing their adult coats or something (Pretty sure they're weaners). Pssh, I'll stop talking now.

[youbeyouibei]

I've put a box fan or circular fan in the room with them, get some air movement. That temp isn't bad for them, per se, but the humidity and heat in the tank, with enclosed walls and other mice putting body heat off, might be high enough to be cause for concern. I know rats adjust their body heat mostly via their tail, in that they "sweat" or otherwise dissipate head through their tails. Making a stab in the dark here but I would imagine mice are similar. With that in mind, I'd say buy a fan and let the air circulate in the room, give them some air flow to help cool them and they'd be fine. You could even make them a swamp cooler, lmao! Aim the fan to blow air over the frozen 2-liters, break out the pork rinds and RC Cola and they'd be set, lol! Not poking fun, that's a typical weekend for me, lmao!

I raise my own feeders in my garage and live in the same general area you do (Midwest, specifically Indiana) and they've been fine with the recent temp fluctuation. I put a circular fan to blow air around/through their racks and tubs without it being directly on them and they're all still in great health/shape without showing any signs of stress. My garage isn't temperature controlled either, so this summer might get interesting but in the meantime, I'm with you on trying to adjust for the temp changes going on right now. Good luck and I hope that helps!

[RobNJ]

75 degrees is at the high end of fine for mice...my guess for one of them dying(as well as their appearance) would be that they are overly inbred and not properly nourished, not temperature. If they are not acting normally or seem to be in decline, do them a favor and feed them off or freeze them.

[MarkS]

they should be fine at that temp but if you're worried fans work really well. I've found that even if it gets hot in my rodent room, they don't have any problems as long as they have good air flow.