Photo from USFWS, Wikimedia Commons

Weighing in at less than 1 pound, typically no longer than a few inches, this little rodent is the most abundant mammal in North America. This means that the deer mouse has more living members than most other mammal species, and that the deer mouse can be found living in almost any habitat. The Nature Conservancy states:

"Deer mice survive, and thrive, in forests, grasslands, prairie, shrubs, mountains, basins, agricultural areas, and city fields. They thrive in areas disturbed by fire or humans, like reclaimed areas after energy development or fields plowed for crops."

Even though deer mice are just about everywhere, you probably will not see them because they are nocturnal. This means they are most active at night when it's dark, and they sleep during the day. The deer mouse is a great climber and jumper, known to make its way up trees and leap to safety if needed. Deer mice build nests on the ground, such as in logs or near tree trunks, or in burrows that other animals leave behind. Deer mice are omnivores. They eat insects, snails, seeds, fruits, nuts, flowers, and other parts of plants, perhaps even including the roots or flowers of our March Local Plant of the Month.

The deer mouse plays an important role in the food chain. The deer mouse spreads seeds that helps plants to grow and thrive. It is also an important food source to many predators, including owls, hawks, snakes, and foxes. The deer mouse is a rodent, so its front teeth (incisors) never stop growing. Like other rodents, deer mice grind their incisors together and gnaw or rub them on wood to keep them from getting painfully long, and to keep them sharp for eating. Because of their gnawing, and their ability to carry diseases (like Lyme and hantavirus), deer mice are sometimes considered to be a pest to humans. However, scientists have shown that deer mice even help farmers, by eating weed seeds and by eating extra grain seeds that help a field of grain grow better. Deer mice also keep balance in ecosystems, controlling the amount of insects and providing essential food for predators, while also spreading seeds. 

Starting April 1, Denver Composts is changing what it will accept in the green cart. As Colorado Public Radio reports, A1 Organics will only accept food scraps, yard waste, and small compostable scrap bags. Why? Because they had too much contamination. 

What is contamination? That refers to all the wrong stuff getting into compost or recycling containers. One big worry for compost, as you can see in the picture to the right (by Sam Brash, CPR News) is glass. Glass breaks apart into small, sharp pieces that can cut you. So it's important to keep glass out of the compost bin. Remember, glass goes in the recycling. 

Composting helps turn organic materials like food scraps and yard waste into new soil. Think about when you plant a seed--would you plant it in a bunch of shattered glass? Nope! Would you plant a seed in a trash can filled with chip bags and gummy snack wrappers? Nope! So keep plastics and glass out of the green cart. Only food scraps for now!

(Photo by Nick Collins, Unsplash)