If these homes had a properly installed belly panel and proper rodent-proof skirting they would not be able to get into the home. I suspect shoddy maintenance is the cause. My home is next to an open field but we have no problem with pests.

Hi Poaky1!! The correct terminology is "manufactured home," or "mobile home," if built before 1976, I think it is. Never "trailer."

Cathyyg is right, as usual. I grew up, from age 13-18, in a double wide manufactured home my parent bought brand new. It was in a park where residents owned their lots, and therefore it was considered real estate.

In the 34 years my parents owned their home, there was never a snake or mouse. I had a lot of friends in the park as a teenager, and I never knew a single person who had a rodent or snake problem.

I just bought a single wide MH (manufactured home) that is old (1979). The previous owners have never had a single rat, mouse, snake, or cockroach. Ever. And it's out in a rural area, surrounded by farms.

Unfortunately, you've had two bad experiences with MHs that weren't sealed or set up properly. Please know that is NOT the norm.

Have a great day! :-)

Thanks for your input guys. My 1996 Dutch was on a full basement foundation, they found a way to get into the plumbing area, there may have been a gap somewhere, but it was hard to see if there was, the whole underneath was sealed in heavy plastic. The home I cleaned was likely not sealed well, there was no vapor barrier, the floors were rotting, it was near the bathrooms, so COULD have been the tub running over, or moisture from underneath. I wasn't home when my Dutch was set up, my husband was there, but, I doubt they sealed anything.

Good suggestion, Carolyn! Poaky, If you do decide to be a snowbird, and I'm not sure where you're thinking of going, and you rent for a few months each year, your landlord will want to rent to a good renter year after year, and she or he would know that won't happen if there is a rodent or insect problem. I wouldn't worry too much about that; it's most likely not to be an issue. :-)

Thanks guys, newbin, I no longer own the home, but, I talk to the new owner sometimes, but, not sure how to mention the mouse turds without being afraid of seeming strange. Heck maybe some day I'll bring it up. I was thinking that mice would eat the styrofoam stuff. The steel wool should help. I'm not sure where I would go for sure. That's all just dreaming for now. I wouldn't mind staying in Georgia for the winter. I've only seen a small bit of it, I saw lots if Florida, but, it's high crime from what I hear.

I am in a site built home next to the double wide where the mouse turds were in the silverware drawers. I do remember the new owner saying that mice are still getting into the drawers. So the silverware is stored in a closed box on the countertop. There is a field across from the doublewide MH. He also admits that under the garden tub in the Master bath he can hear the rodents moving around. My friend who lives in a double wide still has mice crapping in his silverware drawer also.

5 years later, and still no mice, no snakes, no stinkbugs, no boxelder bugs inside the house. Good skirting and a good belly panel.

Hi guys, well, I have yet to go to Florida for the winter or any time at all. Basically, I am just gonna stay here in Pa. I don't have money to go anyplace and vacay, plus COVID 19 has messed with many people's plans. BUT, I will just say that a friend of mine has also mentioned that he gets mice coming up under his sinks in the kitchen and mice will crap in his kitchen drawers. Really, it would likely take a metal piece that would surround all around the pipe under the sinks both kitchen and bathrooms to stop mice from simply sneaking in the small spaces and coming inside the MH. I now live in a site built home and the only way we get mice in this house is when my moms cats bring them in for fun. They usually kill em outside and leave them on the driveway, BUT, they HAVE brought one in to "play with later". I do NOT like to see even a mouse die, BUT, again, they are disease vectors too. I have just seen snakes outside where they belong.

As for stink bugs, we do get them, but, NOT in large numbers. I just flick them outside, no problem.

Spray foam wont keep mice out for long, they will chew on it. Try steel wool in gaps. works great. No mice no snakes.

Thanks Raulporter1, My friend has been putting his silverware in a container with a lid on TOP of his countertop instead of trying anything to keep the mice out of the house.

When I had lived in MY double wide a LONG time ago, we had mice coming in under every place we had water pipes, and we lost the home, so, the home stood empty for a while, a guesstimate was about 2 years. When the guy who bought it at sheriffs sale moved in, he had snakes and mice to get rid of. I know this because he is my neighbor now.

Snakes lived under the vinyl siding and mice lived under the sinks and tubs. Both me, nor the neighbor see any of the snakes or mice because we both had /have dogs.

I have no idea IF the neighbor (aka new homeowner) has used any means to get rid of the problem. That seems to be the worst thing about manufactured homes, aka "trailers", I said "Trailers" because it is possible the other "mobile homes" , like the fancy multi piece homes MAY NOT have those problems. I've only walked inside them on the lot when a friend had been thinking of buying one, and looking under the sink didn;t come to me, plus it had been just sitting on a lot, so plumbing had not been connected up anyway.

That steel wool must have been made to stick together too right? The little SOB's can get creative, and get themselves through an opening the size of their heads. Maybe caulk and steel wool really inter mixed.?