Keeping live rodents

[Manasha-Bogo]

So, after having to deal with live rodents in the house and keeping their living quarters clean to minimize the smell, and so on. The idea of switching to frozen was looking reeeally good to me. But I live with the most squeamish man on the planet and he won't let me keep frozen rats in our freezer. He says he can't comingle our food with dead rats and still eat our food. So I'm resigned to having to keep these suckers alive.

I found a good and cheap local source of live mice and rats, but in order to make it worth my while to travel there, I have to get 10-20 live mice at a time. Assuming both my snakes eat one mouse every 5 days, 20 mice will last me under 2 months. Now, I have my 55 and 75 gallon tanks that still have no new homes and they will be moving into the garage for now. Strangely, hubby has no issue with me keeping a battalion of live rats in our garage.

Can anyone who keeps live mice and rats for their snakes tell me if keeping them in a 55 gallon tank is a good thing? I figure that in order to clean the tank, I can shove them to one side and close half the tank off with the divider to clean the dirty half, the shove them back to clean the other half, and so on. Also, it's hot in my garage. Can they survive temperatures in the 90's ? I know that feral rats can because we once had a bad rat infestation and cought several in one week. And they were living in the attic, but what about these cute little white ones ?

thanks!

[Annarose15]

Why can't you just buy a small freezer to dedicate to the rats/mice?

[Manasha-Bogo]

Why can't you just buy a small freezer to dedicate to the rats/mice?

I have thought of this but I've been told that keeping a freezer cold enough in the garage would cost a fortune in electricity bills.

[crepers86]

keep it in your room

[Annarose15]

I have thought of this but I've been told that keeping a freezer cold enough in the garage would cost a fortune in electricity bills.

You can still keep the freezer indoors, they don't take up that much space. If it gets that hot in your garage, do you really think those mice will survive out there? (by the way, this should also answer your question as to whether you can keep your BPs in your garage in South Florida)

[Anatopism]

I have thought of this but I've been told that keeping a freezer cold enough in the garage would cost a fortune in electricity bills.

You don't need a terribly large freezer. Have you added up the potential in electricity costs vs. the amount you are spending on mice/rats (and the amount you will be spending as your snakes get larger and you need more or larger prey items)?

If you can, either get a small freezer just for rats, or build a small rack and breed your own rats. Either will save you money, but don't use a 50 gallon. It will be a PAIN to clean with several rodents.. I mean seriously disgusting and difficult with that large of an aquarium. Look at some cheap roden rack plans and build it yourself or get somebody to help you. It will save you a few headaches and your wallet, in the long run.

[Manasha-Bogo]

You can still keep the freezer indoors, they don't take up that much space. If it gets that hot in your garage, do you really think those mice will survive out there?

I don't know, that's what I'm trying to find out actually.. It can get pretty darned hot out there in the middle of summer.

Keeping a freezer inside the house is not really an option. My house is very small and we're already strapped for space. I currently keep 5-10 small mice in a one of these things inside the house.



They are no big deal. Easy to care for. I keep them fed and make sure they have access to water 24/7, and clean their "cage" once a week. But more than 10 small mice and it gets outta hand.

hrm..... maybe I just need to get a second mouse "cage".... I'm probably over thinking this a little bit...

[Manasha-Bogo]

found this thing... might be what I need.
http://www.critter-cages.com/index.p...roducts_id=279

[JohnNJ]

hrm..... maybe I just need to get a second mouse "cage"....

or a new hubby.

[LLLReptile]

I would say no on the glass tank - my own experience with mice and rodents (I used to maintain and breed a large colony of "fancy" rats) is that the smell is much worse in a tank, and the animals themselves are less healthy when constantly exposed to the ammonia and smell that builds up in a tank vs. a wire cage. Plus, with the heat, being in a glass tank will allow heat to build up - they'll fare worse in a hot garage in a glass tank than they would in a wire cage.

-Jen