Many homeowners want to know if carpenter ant damage is covered under their home insurance policy. Unfortunately, this type of damage may not be something that your policy will provide protection for. This article will help you understand what is carpenter ant damage, how to avoid it, and why your insurance policy may not be helpful.
A homeowners insurance is one of the most important investments that you should get especially if you own your property. Usually, residents expect these insurance policies to provide their properties with coverage for whatever may go wrong with their properties. Unfortunately, this is not always the case.
An insurance policy will provide you with peace of mind especially if you are living in an area that is highly prone to different disasters. Nevertheless, these policies will not and do not cover each expense that is related to the repair of your home. This is why it is crucial that you know what your policy covers and what it does not.
What does home insurance cover?
Different companies offer different benefits for their home insurance policies. Most of the time, specific coverage will vary from one policy to another. In some cases, it will also vary from city to city or state to state. Nevertheless, it is safe to say that most home insurance policies will at the very least provide basic coverage for homes which includes:
- Fire, smoke, explosion
- Tornados, lightning strikes, high wind, or hail
- Damage from aircraft or vehicle
- Burglary, theft, or vandalism
Depending on your policy, you may also get coverage for other issues such as personal liability, damage from falling objects, and power failures. Unfortunately, this does not usually cover bug infestation. In other words, most home insurance coverage falls under two factors, if the incident is sudden or accidental. Damages that happen from gradual deterioration or those that are preventable through proper home maintenance such as rot, mildew, rust, or infestation will not be covered.
Carpenter ant damage
Compared to any other species of ants, carpenter ants are known to induce the most damage to homes. Even if they are small, these small black ants can cause huge problems especially if infestations go unnoticed. Carpenter ants cause distinct damage even when it is typically confused with termite damage. These ants hollow out the wood in order to nest inside it. As a result, homes with carpenter ant infestation may have structural damage.
Unfortunately, most home insurance excludes coverage due to animal damage. These include problems caused by rodents, birds, vermin, insects, or pests. Insurance companies mostly regard this issue as a home maintenance problem which should be the responsibility of the homeowner. Most of pest infestation issues can easily be controlled and huge damage can be avoided if caught on time. In some cases, some homes are denied coverage after inspection agents find signs of infestation in the home.
Tips to avoid carpenter ant infestation
Thankfully, there are ways to avoid this kind of problem. You can improve the structural integrity of your home by using simple yet effective methods.
- Make sure to regularly hire pest infestation experts to do routine checks of your home.
- Caulk any possible entryways.
- Caulk any electrical or water lines where these ants may enter your home.
- Consider having gravel or stone strips around your property.
- Trim branches that may be touching parts of your home.
- If you have a fireplace, make sure to store firewood away from your home and above ground.
- Make sure to check signs of ants before bringing firewood inside.
- Clean clogged gutters.
- Make sure to check for signs.
- Remove stumps, logs, and other wood stored inside or near the house.
- Ensure that attics and crawl spaces are properly ventilated.
- Wooden porches and outdoor decks should not be directly in contact with the ground.
Since carpenter ant issues are typically not covered in most home insurance policies, you need to routinely make sure that this will not become an issue in your home. A clean and well-kept property will surely not be facing this problem.
