Mice Or Men: A Cheesy Conundrum

Mice and cheese have been linked together for centuries, with Shakespeare writing about a “lean and hungry” mouse “that doth favor cheese.” However, recent studies have shown that mice aren’t always attracted to cheese, and sometimes avoid it completely. Mice have a very strong sense of smell, and the strong smell of stinky cheese is typically an odor that will cause them to turn around, rather than lure them toward a trap.

Mice and cheese coexistence

The notion that mice are particularly fond of cheese dates back to at least the 16th century when English poet and playwright William Shakespeare wrote about a “lean and hungry” mouse “that doth favor cheese.” However, this anecdotal evidence does not provide any real insight into the dietary preferences of mice.

Cheese has a strong smell that attracts mice. Although cheese has a strong sense of smell, some mice are repulsed by the smell of certain cheeses. Cheese is high in fat and protein, which is an attractive food source for mice. Cheese is often left in open areas, making it easily accessible to mice.

Growing up on a farm, there were always mouse traps lying around waiting patiently, filled with a nice slice of cheese. Some days the mice would fall for our trickery and sometimes they wouldn’t. I always wondered if they were getting smart and catching on to our traps. Then it caused me to ask the question, do mice even like cheese?

Recent studies have shown that the Tom and Jerry cartoons weren’t as accurate as we once believed; mice aren’t always attracted to cheese, and sometimes avoid it completely. Rodents have a very strong sense of smell, and the strong smell of stinky cheese is typically an odor that will cause them to turn around, rather than lure them toward a trap.

Another study by Dr. David Holmes, of Manchester Metropolitan University, found that mice don’t like cheese at all. As mentioned before, you may have noticed that cheese has a rather strong odor. Mice notice this too, and their little noses are much more fine-tuned than ours. If a rodent is hungry enough, it may nibble on cheese, but the scent would not lure them to a trap. Alarmingly, Dr. Holmes even said that mice would turn to humans and other animals as a food source over the dairy option. Just one more reason we need to keep these critters out!

Mice dietary preferences

The notion that mice are particularly fond of cheese dates back to at least the 16th century when English poet and playwright William Shakespeare wrote about a “lean and hungry” mouse “that doth favor cheese.” However, this anecdotal evidence does not provide any real insight into the dietary preferences of mice. Cheese has a strong smell that attracts mice. Although cheese has a strong sense of smell, some mice are repulsed by the smell of certain cheeses. Cheese is high in fat and protein, which is an attractive food source for mice. Cheese is often left in open areas, making it easily accessible to mice.

In general, they aren’t, but just like humans, individuals can be. If you feed your pet mouse a piece of cheese and it gets diarrhea, it may have a dairy sensitivity. That’s also something you definitely don’t want to deal with if you have a house mouse infestation, so that’s another reason to avoid cheese when trying to lure these pests.

Dr. David Holmes, of Manchester Metropolitan University, found that mice don’t like cheese at all. As mentioned before, you may have noticed that cheese has a rather strong odor. Mice notice this too, and their little noses are much more fine-tuned than ours. If a rodent is hungry enough, it may nibble on cheese, but the scent would not lure them to a trap. Alarmingly, Dr. Holmes even said that mice would turn to humans and other animals as a food source over the dairy option. Just one more reason we need to keep these critters out!

Ethan Freedman, a science and nature journalist based in New York City, reporting on climate, ecology, the future and the built environment, went to Tufts University, where he majored in biology and environmental studies, and has a master's degree in science journalism from New York University. He said that it's possible that this story about mice and cheese has existed for as long as mice and humans (and cheese) have coexisted, from the halls of ancient Rome to the rodent-inspired children's arcades of modern suburban America.

Growing up on a farm, there were always mouse traps lying around waiting patiently, filled with a nice slice of cheese. Some days the mice would fall for our trickery and sometimes they wouldn’t. I always wondered if they were getting smart and catching on to our traps. Then it caused me to ask the question, do mice even like cheese? Life is full of mysteries — but recent studies have shown that the Tom and Jerry cartoons weren’t as accurate as we once believed; mice aren’t always attracted to cheese, and sometimes avoid it completely. Rodents have a very strong sense of smell, and the strong smell of stinky cheese is typically an odor that will cause them to turn around, rather than lure them toward a trap.

Cheese scent attracts mice

The notion that mice are particularly fond of cheese dates back to at least the 16th century when English poet and playwright William Shakespeare wrote about a “lean and hungry” mouse “that doth favor cheese.” However, this anecdotal evidence does not provide any real insight into the dietary preferences of mice.

Cheese has a strong smell that attracts mice. Although cheese has a strong sense of smell, some mice are repulsed by the smell of certain cheeses. Cheese is high in fat and protein, which is an attractive food source for mice. Cheese is often left in open areas, making it easily accessible to mice.

Dr. David Holmes, of Manchester Metropolitan University, found that mice don’t like cheese at all. As mentioned before, you may have noticed that cheese has a rather strong odor. Mice notice this too, and their little noses are much more fine-tuned than ours. If a rodent is hungry enough, it may nibble on cheese, but the scent would not lure them to a trap. Alarmingly, Dr. Holmes even said that mice would turn to humans and other animals as a food source over the dairy option. Just one more reason we need to keep these critters out!

Growing up on a farm, there were always mouse traps lying around waiting patiently, filled with a nice slice of cheese. Some days the mice would fall for our trickery and sometimes they wouldn’t. I always wondered if they were getting smart and catching on to our traps. Then it caused me to ask the question, do mice even like cheese? Life is full of mysteries — but recent studies have shown that the Tom and Jerry cartoons weren’t as accurate as we once believed; mice aren’t always attracted to cheese, and sometimes avoid it completely. Rodents have a very strong sense of smell, and the strong smell of stinky cheese is typically an odor that will cause them to turn around, rather than lure them toward a trap.

In general, they aren’t, but just like humans, individuals can be. If you feed your pet mouse a piece of cheese and it gets diarrhea, it may have a dairy sensitivity. That’s also something you definitely don’t want to deal with if you have a house mouse infestation, so that’s another reason to avoid cheese when trying to lure these pests.

Mice and cheese in culture

The notion that mice are particularly fond of cheese dates back to at least the 16th century when English poet and playwright William Shakespeare wrote about a “lean and hungry” mouse “that doth favor cheese.” However, this anecdotal evidence does not provide any real insight into the dietary preferences of mice.

Cheese has a strong smell that attracts mice. Although cheese has a strong sense of smell, some mice are repulsed by the smell of certain cheeses. Cheese is high in fat and protein, which is an attractive food source for mice. Cheese is often left in open areas, making it easily accessible to mice.

Growing up on a farm, there were always mouse traps lying around waiting patiently, filled with a nice slice of cheese. Some days the mice would fall for our trickery and sometimes they wouldn’t. I always wondered if they were getting smart and catching on to our traps. Then it caused me to ask the question, do mice even like cheese?

Recent studies have shown that the Tom and Jerry cartoons weren’t as accurate as we once believed; mice aren’t always attracted to cheese, and sometimes avoid it completely. Rodents have a very strong sense of smell, and the strong smell of stinky cheese is typically an odor that will cause them to turn around, rather than lure them toward a trap.

Another study by Dr. David Holmes, of Manchester Metropolitan University, found that mice don’t like cheese at all. As mentioned before, you may have noticed that cheese has a rather strong odor. Mice notice this too, and their little noses are much more fine-tuned than ours. If a rodent is hungry enough, it may nibble on cheese, but the scent would not lure them to a trap. Alarmingly, Dr. Holmes even said that mice would turn to humans and other animals as a food source over the dairy option. Just one more reason we need to keep these critters out!

Mice and cheese sensitivity

The notion that mice are particularly fond of cheese dates back to at least the 16th century when English poet and playwright William Shakespeare wrote about a “lean and hungry” mouse “that doth favor cheese.” However, this anecdotal evidence does not provide any real insight into the dietary preferences of mice. Cheese has a strong smell that attracts mice. Although cheese has a strong sense of smell, some mice are repulsed by the smell of certain cheeses. Cheese is high in fat and protein, which is an attractive food source for mice. Cheese is often left in open areas, making it easily accessible to mice.

Growing up on a farm, there were always mouse traps lying around waiting patiently, filled with a nice slice of cheese. Some days the mice would fall for our trickery and sometimes they wouldn’t. I always wondered if they were getting smart and catching on to our traps. Then it caused me to ask the question, do mice even like cheese? Life is full of mysteries — but recent studies have shown that the Tom and Jerry cartoons weren’t as accurate as we once believed; mice aren’t always attracted to cheese, and sometimes avoid it completely. Rodents have a very strong sense of smell, and the strong smell of stinky cheese is typically an odor that will cause them to turn around, rather than lure them toward a trap.

Another study by Dr. David Holmes, of Manchester Metropolitan University, found that mice don’t like cheese at all. As mentioned before, you may have noticed that cheese has a rather strong odor. Mice notice this too, and their little noses are much more fine-tuned than ours. If a rodent is hungry enough, it may nibble on cheese, but the scent would not lure them to a trap. Alarmingly, Dr. Holmes even said that mice would turn to humans and other animals as a food source over the dairy option. Just one more reason we need to keep these critters out!

In general, they aren’t, but just like humans, individuals can be. If you feed your pet mouse a piece of cheese and it gets diarrhea, it may have a dairy sensitivity. That’s also something you definitely don’t want to deal with if you have a house mouse infestation, so that’s another reason to avoid cheese when trying to lure these pests.

Cheese has a strong smell that attracts mice, but some mice are repulsed by the smell of certain cheeses. Cheese is high in fat and protein, which is an attractive food source for mice. Cheese is often left in open areas, making it easily accessible to mice.

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