Origin of mice eating cheese myth

[DAVEW0071]

I've done a few searches, but Snopes has nothing, and other venues were dead ends.

We've always heard that mice like to eat cheese. But, as a professional hired killer, I know this is not so. Peanut butter and even bacon work much better (and keep better, too).

Common sense would tell us that mice don't find cheese-like food in the wild -- they find seeds and nuts. Therefore they wouldn't necessarily prefer cheese. But everyone thinks mice are constantly jonesing for cheese. And I've come across customers who are genuinely surprised when I tell them that mice aren't going to go straight for cheese-baited traps. What gives? Where did this myth start? How did it start? It's been around for a while, because old cartoons show it, and even Groucho Marx, when asked if he was a man or a mouse replied, "Put a piece of cheese on the floor, and you'll find out." I think this was in Duck Soup, in the mid-30s.

Anyone know some other venues where I might get help finding an answer?