How do you properly store mice? - briefly
Store mice in ventilated, appropriately sized cages with bedding, maintaining temperature at 20‑26 °C and humidity at 30‑70 %. Supply continuous food and water, clean cages weekly, and label each container with ID and date.
How do you properly store mice? - in detail
Proper storage of laboratory mice requires control of environmental parameters, cage management, and biosecurity measures.
Maintain temperature between 20 °C and 26 °C with a tolerance of ±2 °C. Relative humidity should stay within 30 %–70 %, ideally around 50 %. Sudden fluctuations increase stress and can affect experimental outcomes.
Ventilation must provide at least 10–15 air changes per hour. Use filtered, HEPA‑rated airflow to prevent pathogen ingress. Monitor carbon dioxide levels; keep them below 0.1 % to avoid respiratory irritation.
Cage specifications:
- Size: Minimum 75 in² floor area for a single adult mouse; larger for breeding groups.
- Material: Polycarbonate or stainless steel with smooth interior surfaces.
- Bedding: Autoclaved, low‑dust cellulose or corncob; replace weekly or when soiled.
- Enrichment: Nesting material, shelter, and chewable objects to promote natural behavior.
Cleaning schedule:
- Spot‑clean daily; remove wet waste and soiled bedding.
- Perform a full cage change weekly; sterilize cages and accessories by autoclave (121 °C, 15 psi, 30 min) or dry heat (160 °C, 2 h).
- Disinfect work surfaces with an EPA‑registered rodent‑compatible sanitizer; rinse thoroughly.
Health monitoring:
- Conduct weekly visual inspections for coat condition, activity level, and signs of illness.
- Record body weight bi‑weekly; deviations >10 % from baseline warrant investigation.
- Implement a sentinel program; house sentinel animals in a separate rack and expose them to soiled bedding from each colony monthly.
Biosecurity protocols:
- Restrict access to authorized personnel only; use badge‑controlled doors.
- Wear disposable gloves and lab coats when handling mice; change gloves between cages.
- Store mice in a dedicated animal room with positive pressure relative to adjacent spaces.
- Keep all supplies (food, water bottles, enrichment) in sealed containers; replace water daily with sterile, filtered water.
Backup systems:
- Install an uninterrupted power supply (UPS) for ventilation, heating, and lighting.
- Maintain a temperature alarm linked to a central monitoring system; configure alerts for deviations beyond set limits.
- Keep spare cages, bedding, and feed on-site to replace contaminated supplies without delay.
Documentation:
- Log environmental readings (temperature, humidity, CO₂) hourly.
- Record cage changes, cleaning dates, and health observations in a centralized database.
- Review logs weekly; generate reports for veterinary staff and institutional animal care committees.
Adhering to these procedures ensures that mice remain healthy, reduce experimental variability, and comply with regulatory standards.