Mobile home and I got a rat

I trapped the rat with a sticky trap. I guess I should have put a leash on it. It drug it under my sink and somehow got off of it. I own a 1980s model mobile home. I really need to seal up the underbelly. It has holes in the insulation and various problems underneath. I am not sure where to begin. I do need to get rid of this rat though.

 

If you have multiple openings, you possibly have more than one mouse/rat. If he extricated himself from the sticky pad, it was a cheap pad, or a strong rat that has no hair, now First off, seal off food. If they don't have food source, they will leave. Next, determine if there are any actual entry points. Just because you have insulation torn, doesn't necessarily mean they can get into the home. Set multiple sticky traps with food on it. Place them on the ground, away from the living quarters. At least if you catch one, it won't slide under a refrigerator and rot.

Your sink areas are prime areas of entry. You should seal them up by first stuffing steel wool in the openings and using a good fire sealant (available at box stores) or vermin proof foam, which has metal shavings in it.
GREAT STUFF 16 oz. Pestblock Insulating Foam Sealant-11034540 - The Home Depot

3M 10.1 oz. Fire-Block Sealant-FB 136 - The Home Depot

 

As Chandler said, the sink area provides the most common access, but, while sealing as he recommended, take the time to empty the cabinets and remove the drawers to inspect for any other open pathways. Drawers for example have space behind them, so if there is an unsealed cable or other access point back there they are free to roam.

 

one entry point I know for sure is the pipes around the water heater/washer. I am reluctant to spray foam in there if I ever have to do plumbing work. Is it relatively easy to remove?

The previous owner had plumbing problems and removed the wall and it was getting in near the floor since there is no drywall there. Maybe I should replace the drywall, but I don't want them nesting in the wall.

I was looking for a resource that explains how to fix the insulation underneath. I haven't been able to find a youtube video that actually explains how you do it in simple steps. They show videos of them putting in insulation, but not how to fix the underbelly wrap.

I was also thinking I just need to order some bait stations or maybe there is a cheaper way to lay out bait blocks. I read you can lay the bait in pvc pipes, but I question whether they would drag it off.

 

It can be difficult to replace or patch the under belly wrap. Tape doesn't always stick. What I like to do [won't work on all MHs] is staple roofing felt [tar paper] to the bottom of the joists. Replacing insulation as needed is fairly straightforward.

 

Do you lay the insulation up there loose and then hold it up with the tar paper? I have honestly never done any insulation. I remember watching someone staple it to the frame of a wall once. Maybe it would be better if I took some pictures and posted them here? Its been raining and cold so no interest in starting a project yet.

 

Kieran and Marksr. I have had some luck in stapling up a tarp, full length along one wall, then start installing insulation, using stay bars or staples where practical, and bringing the tarp across, stapling it where there is wood as you go. That will give good support for the insulation and will help with vapor. Now, there is nothing scientific about this, but it worked and kept things together. If you have seams in the tarp, which I am sure you will, once they are stapled, follow that with Tyvek tape.

 

I confess to not knowing a lot about mobile home construction, but, if it's fiberglass batts, and if the spacing is something in the vicinity of 16" or 24", I would be thinking of what I know as "lightening rods", metal wires that you can buy at your local lumber yard or big box to support the weight of the insulation before adding the felt.

 

Normally the insulation will stay put by friction until you put up the tar paper or tarp. They also sell short 'wires' that bend into the joist cavity to keep the insulation from falling down [what Pedro mentioned]

I forgot earlier but often it's beneficial to nail thin strips of wood over the tar paper to better hold it in place - so the weight of the tar paper doesn't pull it thru the staples.

 

I would want rat sized snap traps, at least, under the mh. I assume there is skirting.

Rodenticide under the mh is good too. Exterior rated bait stations are good to use in that they will contain the bait in order to keep it away from non-target animals to a large extent, and people.

If there are no dogs in the immediate area you might be safe in simply placing the bait underneath the mh. Put it on a plate, piece of wood, etc so you can look at it later and determine if any has been eaten. Replace if it gets wet/moldy. Put out plenty as there may be more rodents than realized. If a lot of rats eat a little bit of bait, then it won’t be enough to kill any of them. It’s a dosage related treatment.

Are there animal pens nearby such as dog houses or other animals? If so, they are a likely source of rats. Could be several sources though.

Keep us posted.

 

Both neighbors have dogs and lots of them. One has 4 pit bulls and the other has 4 other big dogs. We are all out in the country on 1 acre lots though. It got cold all of a sudden and the rat started coming inside. I believe it came inside. I bought a large box with a shower surround in it and was thinking maybe it came in the box? I doubt it would sleep in the box all the way home though. The box had a hole in it.

 

Rats will live comfortably underneath dog houses while making raids on the dogs food/water as needed. As their population increases the younger ones will be pushed out by the dominant rats and move nearby. That is probably what you have going on. I doubt that it came home in the box. It would have been freaked out from the moving and loading and not stayed in.

With what you are surrounded with there aren’t many good options. I still think that 6 or more rat snap traps under the mh will catch the ones coming to you. If the dogs come on to your property I would be hesitant to use rodenticide. Otherwise I’d use exterior grade rodent stations baited with the waxy bait blocks. There should be a rod that can go through the bait blocks to hold them inside the station. Another good bait is the “soft baits” that look like bubble gum. The rod can go right through the packets. You’ll have to go on-line for the soft baits at least.

 

How do I seal up this hole? It is in the bedroom wall that is shared with the faucet side of the tub. It is around 8x10 inches where the drain pipe is.

 

A pic from further back would be helpful.
You'd either fit drywall [or whatever wall covering is appropriate] the best you can or frame it out so you can completely enclose the plumbing.

 

Do any plumbing pipes or wires go through that opening which would require cutting holes in whatever material is used or could a single, solid sheet of something fit?

 

I took the picture up close to show the hole in the floor under the plumbing. It starts on the near side of the drain pipe and goes all the way across to the front edge of the tub. I am not sure what is under it, but I see cardboard or maybe insulation paper in the shape of a box about 10 inches under the hole in the floor. Might just be something that is shoddy.

 

It's common to just shove insulation into the hole. If you are concerned with a mouse getting thru it would be best to cut a piece of sheet metal or hardware cloth to fit as tight as you can against the plumbing.