Will my home insurance policy pay for damage caused by ants?

For insurance companies, infestations of pests and rodents can be an expensive option. Ants and termites, for instance, can cause substantial damage to the home, foundation, and other structures. On the other hand, ants are relatively easy to control if caught in time, and that gives insurance companies a way to keep the homeowner in process.

Since the homeowner is expected to make regular inspections of the home and perform sufficient maintenance to keep the home in a condition which remains as close to the insured value as possible. This means doing such things as removing dead trees near the home, leaves from the eaves, and inspecting the property for potential insect infestations. The reasoning is that by using pest control measures during the early stages of a pest infestation, you can prevent the insects from gaining access to the dwelling and causing any serious damages.

Even if the home insurance covered ants, it would not necessarily be a claim that worked in your best interests. If you consider the cost of damages after you have paid the deductible on the claim, you find that it would only take a small amount more to complete the repairs. Since the sum total of your liability and casualty claims is maintained in a special database for 7 years, called your CLUE report, filing a home claim for minor damages could contribute to a rise, for example, in both your home and auto insurance premiums.

If an inspection of the home reveals ants or some other infestation prior to the insurance policy becoming effective, the insurer may not issue coverage at all. This includes such things as ant beds in close proximity to the dwelling, indications of ants inside the home, or even clues to other infestations, such as crumbled wood from termites, or damages soffits caused by squirrels or birds. If these indicators are found, you may be given a period of time to correct the issues before your policy is voided or denied. For the insurance company, this is simply keeping the homeowner involved in the protection of the investment they both share.