Many homeowners we talk to don’t worry about a squirrel or bat infestation nearly as much as they should. In the back of their minds, they believe that homeowner’s insurance will pay for any damage these critters cause.
Check your policy again, though, because most homeowner’s insurance policies don’t cover the most common kinds of wildlife-related damage. They cover more outlandish sources of damage that you’d almost never see in Houston, like damage from deer and bears.
Homeowner’s insurance policies also only cover the structural damage that a larger animal might do to a home. They don’t cover replacement and clean-up costs for squirrel-chewed wires, guano-infested insulation, or urine-stained ceilings.
Nor will they cover your personal items: the furniture, electronics, and clothing that you’ve worked so hard to procure for you and your family. Homeowner’s insurance won’t cover your hospital bills if you end up getting a rat or bat-borne disease, either. Your health insurance policy might, but health insurance policies seem to get less comprehensive by the year.
Nuisance wildlife encounters are on the rise. Rats are already well-adapted to city life, as are squirrels. Bats and raccoons have adapted as well. They’re happy to exploit your home.
So, what can you do to protect your home, your belongings, and your family’s health?
- Keep an eye out for signs of nuisance wildlife. Don’t dismiss unusual sounds, sights, or fresh damage that might hint at a critter problem.
- Make the exterior of your home as unattractive to critters as possible. Lockable garbage cans and trimmed trees can help discourage animals from getting too close to your home.
- Schedule an inspection the minute you think there’s trouble. The faster you get the wildlife out of your house, the less damage the wildlife will do.
- If you have a wildlife problem, request removal services right away.
The team at Elite Wildlife Services handles more than humane wildlife removal. We also handle wildlife exclusion, which means we prevent nuisance wildlife from returning to re-infest your home.
Our methods can give you peace of mind and help you save time and money in the future.
Have you been ignoring some scratching and thumping? Contact EWS to schedule an inspection today!
