Mystic, CT (Dec. 23, 2014) - The Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center wants your mice. Requirements are they be dead, chemical- and poison-free, and frozen.Nature Center Asks: Got Mice?
The Center used to receive donated frozen mice from Pfizer Inc. and Charles River Laboratory, both of which raise laboratory mice for research use. The companies donated their excess mice to the Center, to feed our 14+ birds of prey and our 6+ snakes. Recently both companies have stopped the donations.
This means an additional expense of $1,800 to $2,000 a month for the Nature Center to feed its resident and rehabbing birds and snakes. A hungry great horned owl eats 6-8 mice per day, depending on the size of the mice. They eat even more in winter. Our newest raptor, a red-shouldered hawk with an injured spine/tail that we are rehabbing, consumes 4-6 mice per day, more once he starts feeling better.
The Nature Center is looking for help in two ways: first, if you’d like to donate money to help us offset the cost of buying the mice, we would be deeply appreciative. Secondly, we’ll also take your mice off your hands, if you have them running through your walls and cupboards.
The criteria for us to accept mice from the public is easy: the mice must be dead, chemical- and poison-free, and frozen. We recommend buying the old-fashioned snap-traps at the hardware store, slathering a little peanut butter on it, and setting them where you find mouse droppings. Freeze the mice in zip-close bags in your freezer, and drop them off to us at your convenience!
We cannot accept mice that have been exterminated with any type of chemical or poison, as that would harm our animals.
Checks can be mailed to the DPNC, Box 122, Mystic, CT 06355. Mice can be dropped off at the Nature Center, 109 Pequotsepos Road, Mystic. Our birds and snakes thank you!
