Some people think mice are cute, but more people recognize the ick factor. And almost no one wants rats around, even pack rats. Rodent infestations in Tucson manufactured homes (the modern term for mobile homes) are a common problem. Many Tucson mobile homes are located in rural areas, and they all have a lot of rat-appealing space under them.
Pack rats under homes make nests and chew wires, but even more, concerning is the diseases they can carry. In fact, rats and mice can carry and spread up to 35 different diseases. These diseases are spread to humans through bites or through other contacts with the rodents and their feces, urine, or saliva. Even worse, rodent-borne diseases can also be spread through indirect means, such as through ticks, mites, or fleas that carry the diseases after coming into contact with (biting) the rodents. Getting rid of pack rats under a mobile home, then, is a critical and common concern for owners of manufactured homes.
If you are facing this problem, you could, of course, always call a professional pest control service. But that is typically pretty expensive, often prohibitively so for many people. But there are some viable DIY options. So let’s see how to get rid of pack rats under a Tucson mobile home.
Getting Rid of Pack Rats Under a Tucson Mobile Home
When it comes to getting rid of rats, there are several different effective ways to attack the problem, depending on your time, agility, and sqeamishness. These include . . .
Diatomaceous Earth and Essential Oils
Typically a white powder, diatomaceous earth is composed of the skeletons of microscopic aquatic organisms called diatoms. One of the chief characteristics of diatomaceous earth is its extreme absorbency. And this makes it almost the perfect vehicle for delivering essential oils to the pack-rat infested areas of your Tucson, AZ, mobile home.
Essential oils like peppermint and lemon citrus are offensivee to rodents – they simply can’t tolerate the smell – and so work great as effective repellents. Such essential oils combined with diatomaceous earth make a rodent repellent that is both natural and safe for humans. Also, getting rid of pack rats under your mobile home with a repellent means that you never have to come into contact with them.
There are a couple of drawbacks, though. The first is that this method isn’t always as effective as the others we’ll discuss. In addition, getting this repellent in all the right places often requires crawling around under your Tucson mobile home to get it strategically placed. (So if your pack rat infestation is extremely severe, you might want to consider contacting a reputable Tucson mobile home buyer who will buy as-is despite the rodent problem.)
Traps (Conventional and Live)
Another option to get rid of pack rats under a mobile home is with the use of traps. If you use conventional spring-loaded traps, you’ll need to buy a number of them. Then they have to be baited with something like cheese or peanut butter and placed near the areas of rodent travel under your mobile home. And do make sure to wear rubber gloves when removing dead rats from the traps to avoid diseases.
But if you’re a bit squeamish, you can also opt for live traps (although these are bulkier and more expensive). You won’t have to deal with dead pack rats, and you can remove them without ever having to touch them, only the trap. Still, there is some biting risk involved, and you have to be careful about where you relocate the rats.
Poison
And then there’s poison. This may be the fastest and most effective method to get rid of pack rats under a mobile home and maybe your best bet if you need to solve the problem in order to sell your Tucson mobile home fast. Just be aware that there are some definite hazards involved.
The poison, when placed under manufactured homes, presents a risk to pets and even children who may crawl under the home and come into contact with the poison. In addition, pets may eat the poisoned dead rats. And many times the rodents die under your mobile home, decompose, and put off terrible odors.
There are, however, some natural poisons that are far less dangerous to pets and people. These include those infused with concentrated vitamin D3, which can induce cardiac failure in rodents. And there’s also boric acid, which is not toxic for humans, but can kill and deter rats. You do have to place it near all the rodent entry and exit areas and near their areas of travel in order to ensure adequate coverage.
Keeping Pack Rats Out of Your Mobile Home
Now, once you begin to get rid of the pack rats under your mobile home, you have to keep them away and ensure that they don’t come back. A couple of important steps here are . . .
Closing Entries/Exits
Begin by making a thorough examination all around your mobile home. Locate any vents or spaces in skirting where pack rats might be able to get in and under the home. Darker and damper areas are more likely to have rodent infestations, and droppings will be a dead giveaway.
Once you find the spots where rats are getting in, plug them up. You can use steel wool to stop up smaller holes. Rats can’t chew through it, and the sharp edges deter them from crawling through or around it. Larger holes and gaps can be covered with plywood, and simply replace skirting sections where necessary. And then be sure to caulk all cracks – rodents can get through a surprisingly small crack.
Getting Rid of Attractants
When you begin to get rid of the pack rats, you also need to make sure you don’t give them any reason to come back. Mostly, this involves cleanliness.
Don’t leave any food debris or dirty dishes sitting around the kitchen, things which are particularly attractive to rodents. And it’s a good idea to store food items in your cabinets in well sealed, air-tight containers. Also, make sure your outside garbage cans are well sealed with tight lids, and don’t dump out any food waste near your home.
An Easier Alternative
As you can see, getting rid of rodents under your Tucson mobile home can be a messy and hazardous (and sometimes lengthy) job. And if you’re doing this in preparation to sell, especially if you need to sell your Tucson mobile home fast, you might consider taking another route. There is, in fact, an alternative that will allow you to avoid all this and sell fast, easily, and at a fair price.
Instead of worrying about pack rats, check out the premier mobile home buyer in Tucson that guarantees a fair offer, allows you to choose the closing date, and pays the costs involved in selling. To discover more about how to easily sell your manufactured home – and for cash – just call 520-413-1314 or fill out the easy online form.