how high can a mouse jump?

[onthespot]

a friend of mine is wanting to set up his indoor aviaries on stands built of 2x4's, and put sheet metal with an overhang, and set the aviaries on the stands. He asked me how high does he need to make the stands so that mice couldn't just jump up and make their way into the aviary. I told him I thought two feet should be more than enough, maybe 18 inches... Anyone know how far a normal mouse can jump, like how deep of a trash can can a very strong, adult, healthy male mouse jump out of? I think he should make it six inches higher than that.

 

[Imp]

I googled it and most hits are saying 12 to 18 inches, but there are reports of a jumping mouse that can jump 12 feet, kinda think that is exagerated.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meadow_jumping_mouse

Imp

 

[Backyard Farm]

I know I have found dead mice trapped in cans that were about 18" deep. So at least some of them can't jump straight up more than 18" or so.

 

[onthespot]

Thanks. I will tell him to make it two feet high, and a metal lip overhang so they can't climb. Mice can be just devastating to a finch breeder in an aviary setting. No eggs hatch if mice find their way in. No chance, no how.

 

[ShrekDawg]

I agree, probably at least 2 feet. Also, this may be kind of a dumb question, but why are mice so dangerous/threatening, cause they eat the food and scare the birds, or do they eat small birds and/or eggs as well? sorry may be kind of a dumb question but i didnt think they ate birds...? sorry...

*edited for spelling

 

[888]

Hi
One more way to stop rats from climbing the legs
is to put a wide open cone on the legs of the Aviary from the top side
that will stop them from climbing.
most of rats dont jump unless they are in Danger
but they climb and walk on all kind of wires if they have to
for food .

 

[Xodrana]

Depends if they are jumping up or down.

 

[can you hear me now?]

In my personal experiences I had a pet mouse when I was a kid. It got out of my aquarium i kept it in and ran the house wild for a few weeks. It's amazing when I caught it again it was placed back in the aquarium and no sooner did I try to turn around I swear that mouse jumped at least 3 feet in the air. I would say at least three feet for the aviairy or a little more but that is my opinion.

 

[onthespot]

mice like to nest inside the nest boxes of finches and either eat the eggs, or if they young have already hatched, they will eat them too, foul the waterers, chew up tuff, crap everywhere, reproduce like, well, rodents. Plus they smell bad.

 

[ShrekDawg]

oh wow, well that makes sense, i didnt realize they were such a threat, i guess they just move in to the easiest most convienent place with the most convient essentials (food, water, shelter, etc), wow, no wonder theyre such a menace.