Uploaded December 2016 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
One of Amelia's many jobs to do for her family is nest building and she takes this duty very seriously, she is a talented little nest builder :)
Nest building is very important for mice, especially when they have babies. Mice are so tiny, regulating their temperature is more challenging than it is for a larger animal, which makes having a well insulated nest to spend time in very important. Not all the mice in a colony will participate in nest building. It seems only a few will take on this job. Amelia is the nest builder in this little group. She is very good at it and the babies are kept warm and safe with her nest building skill.
Mice will build nests with anything that is soft, insulating and easily shredded. Cardboard, paper, even plastic bags can be used to make nests. I give my mice tissue paper for nesting although here Amelia is shredding paper towel to improve her nest.
Mice tend to be quite clean when it comes to their nests. Any soiled bedding is removed from the nest promptly and most mice will do their best not to poop or pee in the nest box. When someone in the colony dies, the nest builder will bury the body under bedding and then build another nest as far away from the funeral nest as possible. They instinctively know that sleeping in a clean nest is healthiest. The colony's nest builder has multiple functions: she is a home maker, a janitor and a mortician all at the same time.
One of Amelia's many jobs to do for her family is nest building and she takes this duty very seriously, she is a talented little nest builder :)
Nest building is very important for mice, especially when they have babies. Mice are so tiny, regulating their temperature is more challenging than it is for a larger animal, which makes having a well insulated nest to spend time in very important. Not all the mice in a colony will participate in nest building. It seems only a few will take on this job. Amelia is the nest builder in this little group. She is very good at it and the babies are kept warm and safe with her nest building skill.
Mice will build nests with anything that is soft, insulating and easily shredded. Cardboard, paper, even plastic bags can be used to make nests. I give my mice tissue paper for nesting although here Amelia is shredding paper towel to improve her nest.
Mice tend to be quite clean when it comes to their nests. Any soiled bedding is removed from the nest promptly and most mice will do their best not to poop or pee in the nest box. When someone in the colony dies, the nest builder will bury the body under bedding and then build another nest as far away from the funeral nest as possible. They instinctively know that sleeping in a clean nest is healthiest. The colony's nest builder has multiple functions: she is a home maker, a janitor and a mortician all at the same time.
