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While plastic storage containers are usually used for organizing around the home or workplace, now and again I come across an unusual and cool way to use them for something unexpected. Have you ever thought of keeping pet mice? If so, it turns out that a plastic tote bin makes an excellent residence for your furry little pals.

You can make a mouse house quite easily. You just need to modify the bin so that the mice can breathe. Cut a hole in the lid, removing everything except the edges. Go out and buy some wire mesh and cover the hole completely. Make sure to place it on the inside of the lid so that your mice cannot chew the cut plastic edges. Fold the edges of the mesh inward, like you would if you were making a clothing seam. This will keep the mesh safe for the mice. Bolts and rivets are best for attaching it in place. You can use hot glue, but on its own, it can be ineffectual. It is best used in conjunction with the rivets.

You can add more holes to the sides of your bins the same way and provide your mice with even more ventilation and comfort. Just remove a piece of the plastic, and then cover up the hole with mesh just as you did with the lid. The trick is always just to make sure that you don’t leave any exposed plastic edges, because mice will start chewing their way out the second they find one, and they can get out before you even notice they’re gone. Even this is not a surefire way to prevent it, but that is one of the challenges of housing mice.

Advantages of plastic bins for mice:

• Lightweight and portable. You can bring your mice anywhere. It is easy to relocate their home to another part of the room or the house.
• Hard to break. Unlike a glass mouse house, a plastic bin won’t break if you drop it while washing it.
• Easy to clean. Since plastic bins are lightweight, they are easy to pick up and wash by hand.
• Spacious. You can put a lot of toys inside for your furry friends.
• Cheap. Plastic bins are incredibly cost-effective! You would pay a lot more for another option like an aquarium tank.

There are two cautionary notes for using clear plastic bins and boxes as mice homes. First off, even without exposed edges, there is still a chance the mice will chew through the plastic, so monitor them closely. Secondly, not all plastics are safe for mice; some types are toxic. Make sure the plastic contains no lead or other dangerous chemicals. Many bins are safe for humans to be around, but not small animals, even if the animals are not chewing the plastic. So do your research and if you have any doubts, call the manufacturer and ask what the bin is made of before you convert it into a mouse house.