Mobile homeowners are often concerned about the strength of their homes. Since they have to face the harshest of weather, mobile homes are often made to last very long. However, the structure of a mobile home often weakens before you expect it to.
Many people don’t think about termites, but they are often why your mobile home gets damaged sooner than expected. If you own a mobile home and want to ensure that termites aren’t a problem, keep reading. We’ll tell you everything you should know about termites in mobile homes and getting rid of them!
What Are The Signs Of Termites In Mobile Home?
Termites often work at a slow pace. Most of the damage they cause to your mobile homes is rarely visible immediately. Since they eat up your mobile home slowly, you only become aware of the damage after it’s done.
This leaves mobile homeowners with just one option if they don’t want termite ruining their homes: keeping an eye on the early signs of termite infestation. We’ve listed the most common signs below.
If you own a mobile home, you should always be on the lookout for these signs. However, you should be extra cautious if you’ve recently been caught in a flood or severe rain. That is when the chances of a termite attack are very high.
If you notice any of the following signs in your mobile home, you must take them seriously and should arrange for termite removal immediately.
1. Changes In Wood’s Coloring
Most termites in mobile homes belong to the subterranean type. This means they feed on dry wood. When the termite population in your home increases, you’ll start noticing minor color changes in the wooden structures.
If your mobile home has wooden flooring, termites can cause blister-like discoloration on some parts of the floor. In case of termite attacks, the wood starts looking like it has absorbed too much water. Such wooden floors and structures usually don’t lose their color even when swollen.
Hence, you should make sure to keep an eye on all sorts of changes in the wooden structures inside your mobile home, no matter how minor they may be.
2. Low Chewing Or Buzzing Noises
If there is a huge swarm of termites in your mobile home, you might hear random low clicking sounds coming from the walls. These sounds result from termites shaking their bodies upon sensing danger or banging their heads into the walls.
Some wood-loving termites are often very noisy. Hence, you can easily sense their presence very early on.
3. Termites Around Lighting Sources
This is an easy sign to spot termite infestations in your mobile homes. Mostly, termite swarms keep a low profile inside your living space. So, they’re hard to spot. Yet, some termites leave the swarm and move away, either to mate or purposelessly.
These termites often go near light sources, and some die right near the light. As a result, you may find termite wings, dead bodies, or even flying termites near well-lit spots in your room. Hence, keeping an eye on the lights can easily let you spot a termite infection.
4. Hollow Timber
Termites don’t just change the color of wooden structures. They also feed on them. So, if you suspect a termite infection, look beneath and behind wooden walls, floors, and furniture.
Termites chew through the wood to find cellulose and extract energy from it. This chewing leads to the wood becoming hollow, making it weak over time. When you touch or walk on such hollow structures, you can hear peculiar sounds like those produced when you blow through a tube.
You must keep an eye on the hidden sides of any wooden structure inside your mobile home. Other than that, paying attention to the sounds coming from the wood can lead you to a termite discovery.
Some other signs of termites in your mobile homes could be a pungent smell, powdery layers on wooden surfaces, hard-opening doors and windows, and mud tubes outside your mobile home.
How To Get Rid Of Termites In Your Mobile Home?
Spotting the termites is often the first step of freeing your mobile home from an infestation. If you notice any of the signs given above in your home, your next step should be to combat these termites. Since mobile homes are smaller compared to conventional homes, termite removal in these is often very hard.
Termite removal in mobile homes depends upon several factors. You need to be aware of the termite type, the extent of the infestation, and the amount you can afford for the termite removal process.
However, some generic termite removal options are as follows. All of these will help you tackle termite infestations in your mobile homes:
1. Foaming
If the termites are eating up your mobile home’s walls, you can try using this method to kill the termite right there. All you have to do is to drill several small holes in the walls where the termites reside. Then, take a high-quality insecticide and soak several small pieces of foam in it.
Now, push this soaked foam inside those holes in a way that leaves no space for the termites to run away. Once more than enough of the surface is sealed with this insecticide-soaked foam, the termites will suffocate and die inside the walls.
This method, however, isn’t just limited to walls. If you can, you should also drill holes in other places affected by termites and seal them with the same soaked foam. Usually, you can free windows and doors from termites using this method too.
2. Aerosol Spray
If every corner of your mobile home has termites eating it up, foaming might not be the right trick for you. Rather, you can try spraying a potent pesticide to kill the termites from each angle.
We suggest you go for any aerosol-based, well-known termite killer. Take as many bottles as you think are enough to cover all the walls, floor, and other surfaces of your mobile home. Now, either cover up your furniture and utensils with an old cloth or move them out to the sun for a bit.
After the space is ready for spraying, just start from one corner of your home and spray everything, making sure you leave no surface unattended. Once done, open all the windows and doors and leave the mobile home for an hour.
There’s no sure timeframe as to how long the spray will take to kill the termites. An hour is always a safe bet, but if you want to, be sure to contact the manufacturer and ask them. Usually, it’s written on the spray bottle itself, so check that out too.
3. Fumigation
If your home has items that you can’t move or might damage by direct spraying, your only option is fumigation. Depending upon the kind of termite in your mobile home, you can opt for any fumigation service.
When choosing a fumigation service, search for the best fumigation service. One that specifically caters to the kind of termites you’re dealing with.
Some people also opt to fumigate their homes themselves. If done right and with a properly developed fumigant, fumigation can eliminate most of the termites from your mobile home within a day.
Even when they are gone, termites can come back anytime. Hence, it’s best to keep your mobile home clean and dry all the time. It’s also best to spray and fumigate every few weeks.
You must keep an eye on the points where your mobile home directly touches the ground as well. Foaming and filling up the holes at these points can significantly help keep the termites out of your home for a long.
How Can You Repair Termite Damage In Your Mobile Home?
As stated above, you’re only likely to notice a termite infestation after much of the damage is already done. In most cases, termites cause irreversible damage to your mobile homes. However, there are a few ways by which you can minimize the damage so that you can continue living in the same home.
Before repairing the damage, you should ensure that you’ve gotten rid of the termites. After you’re sure that the entire termite swarm has been eliminated, you can take the following steps to undo the damage.
1. Replace The Damaged Wood
If your home has been severely damaged, you’ll need to take this measure. Renovating your home to fix a new wooden floor or wall reduces the chances of termite infestation happening again. This also restores your home’s beauty, making it look presentable.
2. Add Supporting Wood Pieces
If you can’t afford a new installation, do this. You just have to supplement the damaged wood structure with a supporting structure behind or beneath it. This wooden support can be added in whatever way you like and strengthens the damaged structures without costing a lot.
What Attracts Termites To Your Mobile Home?
Below are the 2 most common factors that can attract termites to your mobile homes:
1. Moisture
Most parts of a mobile home are wooden. When this wood absorbs moisture, it becomes a great food source for the termites, attracting more and more of them to enter your home.
2. Wood piling around the mobile home
Woodpiles and fire logs piled around your home can attract termite swarms. The termites present on these piles can fly inside your mobile home, causing severe damage.
FAQ
How Much Does It Cost To Tent A Mobile Home For Termites?
Typically, you can expect decent tent-work to cost you anywhere between $200 and $900. The actual cost depends on various factors. However, several high-end tenting processes may require you to pay up to $1500.
Can I Spray For Termites Myself?
Technically, you can. You don’t always have to call experts for help when it comes to combating termites in a mobile home. You need to have the skills to carry out the correct spraying procedure. Make sure you’ve got the best sprays and are wearing your protective gear when you’re spraying.
Recap
This article was a sufficient guide on combating termites in your mobile home. We told you which early signs to look for and how to remove the termites once they are in your home.
Once you’re done with the removal, don’t forget to use our tips on repairing the damages caused by termites. Following all these tricks, you can easily save your home from such infestations in the future.
Sources
- https://www.ensec.net/blog/post/how-bad-is-it-to-have-termites-on-my-mobile-property
- https://www.terminix.com/termite-control/termite-signs/
- https://epestsupply.answerbase.com/329019/How-do-you-recommend-I-get-rid-of-dry-rot-termites-in-a-mobile-home#:~:text=Depending%20on%20where%20the%20drywood,hole%20into%20this%20kickout%20hole.
- https://www.orkin.com/termites/damage/repairing-termite-damage
- https://www.howtolookatahouse.com/Blog/Entries/2018/7/can-a-mobilemanufactured-home-get-termites.html#:~:text=Mobile%20homes%20tend%20to%20have,is%20a%20favorite%20for%20termites.
