Rodents in the Winter Part II

Rodents in the Winter Part II

The bad news is that most insurers will not cover homeowners for damage caused by pests, though they will consider paying out on that caused by other wild animals. For example, insures for loss or damage caused by wild animals providing they are not classed as moth, vermin or insects. So if a stag headbutts your window and smashes it to pieces, you’d be covered; if a rat nibbles your expensive Persian rug you’re on your own.

Some firms will insure your home if you take out a more expensive policy. For example, esure offers a pest cover add-on that covers a wasp or hornet nest or an infestation of rats, mice, grey squirrels or bed bugs. Similarly, Aviva does not offer pest cover as standard but its high net worth policy “Distinct” (which covers contents worth from $150,000) will cover people for the removal of pests and vermin from their property. “If you have a problem with rats, black or brown, or house mice, field mice, wasps or hornets we have a specialist company who will come in and remove the pests for you, an insurance spokesman said.

While most insurers will not cover vermin damage, consequent damage, such as a fire or flood caused by vermin chewing through a pipe or wire, can be protected. But you’ll still have to pay for a pest control firm and they aren’t cheap. While you can buy your own traps and devices to deal with certain pests on the cheap, professional fees for dealing with infestations can cost as much as $500 or more if repeat visits are required. Then there’s the cost of repairing structural damage or replacing damaged furniture, clothes and textiles.

Although many pests can be active all year round, there are certain times when they can be more problematic than others. April is ant month, while moths can cause grief in May, and woodworm in June. Flying ant day is most likely to fall in July, while wasps buzz particularly loudly in August. For rodents, October/November is their time to invade.

Rodents may be dealt with using traps or poison, but woodworm is another matter. People usually only know how bad it is once a specialist has drawn up a report. In most cases it can be dealt with by spray treatment and the subsequent 20- to 30-year guarantee means the value of their home is not affected. But in severe cases it can have a huge effect on the saleability of a property.

If you’re experiencing rodent problems in your home call a wildlife professional. To find out more about this problem see Rodents in the Winter Part III next week.