And then there were more . . .

In the ongoing saga of the raccoon invasion in the mobile home park where mostly seniors live, some interesting facts have come to light, and more questions have arisen. First, the people in the park have wondered who is responsible for the trapping/removal of the raccoons. Somehow they believe that the park management should be responsible. But in fact, neither the mobile home owners nor the park management invited the raccoons in. They come with the area we live in.  And if a home suffers damage, will the insurance pay for the damage?  Likely not, because the mobile homes have inadequate skirting (i.e., it is flimsy).  And if an owner chooses to try to shore up the holes where the skirting has been moved out by the raccoons, it is at best going to be a tacky looking job as is the case with my senior disabled neighbor.  And this is a low-rent mobile home park, so there really aren't any specific rules regarding what a mobile home owner does.  And what is more, the park owners could care less what happens to the park as long as they get their monthly rent.  As for the raccoons, you have trees, and you will likely have raccoons.

To make matters worse in here, there are cats living outside everywhere.  When seniors pass on, frequently their neighbors or relatives simply release the cats outside, where they continue to stay since this is the area where they lived. Also, the seniors, who are often alone and lonely, feed the cats outside since they like the feeling of company and watching the cats come daily to sleep on their little stairs or porches or even under their houses. Some owners have actually taken out some of their skirting panels to make it possible for the cats to go under the houses to sleep.  And no one seems concerned abut the health issues of all of this.  Of course the cat food attracts the raccoons, skunks, possums, and even rats and mice and squirrels as well as the cats.  And we have learned that the managers actually put food out daily for the raccoons because they think the raccoons are cute.

Spring through summer is breeding time, so this mom sought refuge most likely under my neighbor's mobile home, where she then gave birth in the warmth of the insulation under their home. The insulation is broken out in several areas - not just tiny holes either, and there is insulation all over the ground.  For those who have never lived in a mobile home, when the insulation and moisture barrier is broken into, it leaves nice entry points for additional creatures such as those I have mentioned above.  But even worse is that the droppings of the creatures are going to be everywhere, and eventually this is a definite health problem. Bugs will start coming to eat the droppings, and then there are also the bugs to contend with.  And of course we haven't mentioned why there is a moisture barrier to begin with.  Yes, you might have guessed, it is to keep moisture out from under the home.  With the moisture barrier broken out, moisture gets into the pressboard most mobile home floors are made of and then you have soft areas in the flooring where you can ultimately fall through.  And even if THAT doesn't happen, you are going to start getting mold from the moisture, and everyone knows, or I hope they know, the damage and danger to our health that mold brings.

Yes, the raccoons are cute to look at from a distance, but they do pose health issues that can be quite serious. Raccoon feces can carry several diseases that are potentially serious.  Rabies and distemper are sometimes an issue, but they are rare.  Distemper will make the raccoons forage more during the day and act unusually aggressive.  Distemper can spread from the infected animal to any domestic pets that come into contact with the raccoon feces.

A more dangerous disease that raccoon feces can contain is a parasite called Baylisascaris procyonis.  This is a type of roundworm that can also infect humans.  If this parasite is transferred to humans, it can be extremely dangerous.  In children, the elderly, and people with compromised immune systems, infection with this roundworm can even be fatal.  Infections occur when someone comes into contact with raccoon droppings.  Million of this parasite’s eggs are often present in the droppings.  Even though roundworm parasites need to be inside the host to survive, the eggs can remain alive and dangerous for years in the soil.  This is how people can come into contact with the parasite without even knowing that they have.

If you have been exposed to this parasite or its eggs, your symptoms could include becoming nauseous, tired, and you may notice a lack of attention or coordination.  Other more serious symptoms are the loss of muscle control, blindness, and coma.  It can also cause a person’s liver to become enlarged.  If you have come into contact with raccoon feces, which are very similar in appearance to those of a dog, and you have any of these symptoms, contact a doctor as soon as possible.  With the proper treatment, the ringworms can be eliminated before they travel throughout the body.

 If you are trying to clean up a mess left by raccoons, you need to have eye and breathing apparatus and you need to wear very thick or even plastic coated gloves and pants, etc. to protect yourself.
 This is the story of how a single raccoon can turn your neighborhood (like it has ours) into a true raccoon invasion.  I have not heard of this being the case with possums or skunks, but I am sure it could be a similar situation. 

If you are considering buying a mobile home, as much as most of us love beautiful trees and woods-like environments around us, make this a consideration in your decision. Have an inspection of the property to discover if the moisture barrier is sound before you buy, and if it has the old panel type skirting, you can either have the panel skirting replaced with the new type skirting or you can get some of the plastic X-shaped trellis material and have it screwed on in place all around the bottom. If there is evidence that the moisture barrier is broken out, you need to have that repaired and have the house inspected for health issues before buying it.  It costs more than $1,000 to get the moisture barrier replaced, and more than $1,500 to get the new type of skirting, so you can be looking at a huge investment before even moving in.  And of course there is the inspection that you need to get done.  If you are a senior, these issues are especially important since our immune systems are not what they were when we were even 30 years old.