Posted by Raven Calhoun on September 11, 2006

Q: Okay. I have written twice so far and I have just one more question, I promise. This is my most disturbing moment yet. I felt like I had got all my mice but one and this was a smart one. The peanut butter was eaten both traps at least 6 times. Well today I come home and there is finally a mouse on the trap, but to my disgust, it looked like something had made a perfect round hole it it's side and maybe eaten some of the insides of the mouse. Also, it's head looked like the skin had been peeled back (so it could have been nibbled on too) I don't know what in the world to think now. Could a snake or something be in the house, feeding off the dead mice? This makes the 12th mouse I have caught and this is the first time this has happened. I appreciate all you help. Thank you.

State: Kentucky

A: On occasion, a trapped mouse will be eaten by other mice but this is unusual in my experience. I have a different possibility however. There are some kinds of Bot and Warble Flies that lay their eggs under the skin of mammals that may be involved here. These eggs hatch and the larva (maggot) grows and feeds there until ready to pupate. At this point, it leaves the animal to pupate in the ground but leaves a very noticable hole where it emerged. These flies are common parasites of large mammals (sheep, cattle etc) but if one lays an egg in a mouse (I've seen it happen), the exit hole can seem enormous. I wonder if this is what has happened? Did you find a maggot lying on the ground near your mouse? If so, this was the culprit. No snake will leave a hole in an animal like that, they eat their food whole and don't chew their food. Hope this helps.

John Wiessinger ( September 11, 2006)