Commercial and Residential Pest Control Services | Dodson Bros. Exterminating Co., Inc.
Purchasing a home is a significant investment – and it’s one that must be protected. Homeowners insurance providers will help cover repair costs after fires, floods, and other natural disasters. But does homeowners insurance cover termites?
Below, we’ll explore whether homeowners insurance covers termite damage, why, and other ways to protect your home from these destructive pests.
In general, homeowners insurance will not cover termite damage. Homeowners insurance is intended to help pay for repairs after sudden natural disasters such as fire, hurricane, hail, or lightning. Because homes’ risks can differ based on location or construction, many insurance policies require homeowners to purchase additional policies for compensation after floods and earthquakes.
A homeowners insurance policy can pay for repairs after a termite infestation affects a home. However, this only happens if the affected home is also damaged by something covered in the insurance policy, like a fire.
Home insurance companies typically offer financial protection against these sudden, unexpected disasters because they were accidental or unpreventable. The homeowner’s choices did not affect the home’s damage from a “covered peril” or an “act of God” like lightning. Termite damage, however, is considered preventable by most insurance providers.
A termite colony can take three to five years to reach maturity before it will start to produce swarmers that will colonize and damage your home. Because termites can be detected and removed before significantly damaging the home, insurance companies consider prevention to be the homeowner’s responsibility.
Termites are simple, destructive creatures. They only need three things to thrive: food, moisture, and shelter.
To keep subterranean termites from entering and damaging your home, clear the perimeter of your home of any wood, brush, and moisture.
Pest control professionals can establish a defensive barrier around your home with a termite liquid treatment. This liquid insecticide is applied to the soil beneath concrete floors and along the entire perimeter of your property’s foundation. The product is safe for children and pets, both interior and exterior, and costs significantly less than termite damage repair.
Watching for signs of pests in and around the home is the best way to prevent expensive property damage. While the most common termites in the United States typically live underground, signs of termites trespassing on your home are easy to spot.
When termites leave their underground nest and start exploring your home, you might see mud tubes built around your foundation or exposed lumber. Swarms of termites will appear periodically and may land and shed their wings on windowsills and around the home. Weakened, crumbling, and hollow-sounding wood all indicate termites in the home.
Inspect the perimeter of your home regularly so you can spot the signs before termites have done too much damage.
If you see termites or signs of termite damage in your home, call an exterminator to schedule a termite inspection as soon as possible. Early detection is critical in preventing expensive damage to your home.
Dodson Pest Control’s certified professionals can evaluate your home for termite damage and establish a line of defense against future termite invasions for a fraction of the cost of termite damage repair.
