Steps You Can Take When There Is An Animal Under Your Mobile Home

Everyone faces it from time to time – pesky (but cute!) little animals who think they deserve to share our home and resources. We’re not talking pets here. Instead, we mean that unwanted animal under a mobile home. Rats, badgers, woodchucks, raccoons, and other wild animals do not make good roommates. 

And when you’re dealing with them in a mobile home it’s even more of a problem. Mobile homes have no basements, which makes the dark, quiet space under the home an ideal place for a small animal to move in and get comfy. So what steps do you take when there is an animal under your mobile home?

The problem – an animal under a mobile home

There’s an animal under the house!  It’s making a mess, digging, and adding an unpleasant odor. It’s making noise in the middle of the night and keeping you up. Maybe it’s even bothering your pet, who goes digging around the skirt of the house every time you take him outdoors. Perhaps the unwanted animal is chewing wires or has died and is decomposing under your domicile. Or…Oh no – some creature is pulling out the insulation and…nesting in it! What to do?

Call animal control

Yep, this is the first step in any animal-under-mobile-home situation. Figure out where the animal is entering and call your local animal control. They’ll remove the animal by trapping it and take it away. Probably far enough away so it will never find your house again.

Taking precautions

Problem solved? Well, no – not yet. There are things you need to do to prevent an animal from moving under you mobile home again. Yes, it’s a hassle, but thankfully it’s fairly simple and inexpensive. And you won’t have to deal with those pesky little invaders again!

Repair damage

Most likely the reason an animal got under your mobile home in the first place is that it found a hole in the skirting. So, it makes sense to tackle this damaged skirting. Do it yourself if you can (saves money!), or get someone to do it for you. If new skirting is not in the budget, seal up the holes with chicken wire or some sort of sturdy wire mesh. That’ll hold you over until you can make some permanent repairs.

Whether you plan to spend money on it or not, repairing your damage is crucial. Animals will skip building a cozy house for themselves if they can. It’s more likely that they’ll move into a pre-existing tenement than build themselves a custom domicile from scratch.  

On this note, also make sure to fill any holes that the animal dug. You can buy dirt for this or see if you have a friend or neighbor who is willing to give you a few bucketfuls. Of course, best case scenario is having some extra dirt available from your own yard.

Discourage digging

Scatter chili pepper for keeping out skunks, raccoons, squirrels or chipmunks. For rodents, such as mice and rats, use diatomaceous earth combined with essential oils. Poison can injure children and pets, so avoid it as much as possible. Plus, a poisoned animal may crawl under the mobile home and die after eating the poison, which creates more problems than before. Steer clear of poison if you can, but that’s not to say it’s out of the question. However, diatomaceous earth and essential oils are a natural way to discourage animals from living under a mobile home, and they won’t harm pets and children.

Other ways to minimize animal activity

• Keep raccoons and larger animals away by keeping the garbage can tightly closed. 
• Pick up litter around the house and dispose of it before it attracts attention. 
• If you’re having a problem with raccoons opening your trash and recycling bins, consider using bungee cords to secure the lids. Or invest in bins with locking lids.
• Smaller animals like squirrels and chipmunks are often attracted by bird feeders, so keep the feeders as far from the house as possible.
• Maybe even invest in a motion-sensing light that will turn on every time the animal comes around. 
• Don’t set your pet’s food bowl out on the back step! That could tempt an unwanted animal, too.

Pests be gone!

When there’s an animal under your mobile home, there’s no need to panic. With a strategy and minimal resources, you can create a home that is stress and animal-free. Don’t just “deal with it.” Fight back. Those pesky little varmints will soon know to steer clear of your mobile home. If you need an in-depth guide on how to deal with rodents check out How To Get Rid Of Rodents Living Under Your Mobile Home.