Bee infestations can happen to anyone at any time, and with the damage they cause, it’s vital to have them removed as soon as possible, but does home insurance cover bee removals?
When things go wrong in your home that are out of your control, many people will first turn to their homeowner insurance providers for assistance. Unfortunately, most home insurance providers do not provide cover for bee removal services. Instead, the burden is placed on you to find a local pest control company that carries out bee removal services – like Pest-Tech!
Let’s discuss this topic further and take a closer look at the damages caused by bees and the reasons why insurance policies don’t cover bee removals.
The Dangers of a Bee Infestation
While they’re great for the environment, bees are still pests. They will enter your property, usually via tiny gaps in your soffits and fascias, as they look for a new suitable location to make their nests. This typically occurs during late spring-early summer. Once they’ve found an area they like, somewhere warm and undisturbed like your loft or your walls, they will begin to make their nest.
Thanks to the rapid rate at which bees can multiply, a bee’s nest can contain up to 40,000 bees at one time – which is why removing them as soon as you first notice the signs is essential. Such a large volume of bees living in your loft or walls unsurprisingly generates a lot of noise. Loud buzzing during all hours of the day and night can disturb you and your loved ones.
One of the greatest dangers of a bee infestation in your home is the risk of being stung. While bees are generally not as vicious as wasps, they do still sting when they feel provoked, and their stings are no less sore. In severe cases, bee stings can cause a severe allergic reaction known as an anaphylactic shock which requires urgent medical attention.
Because of this, we strongly advise you to avoid the bee infestation as best you can; please do not attempt to remove the nest yourself, as you will be injured. Instead, you should leave it up to the experts; our team of highly qualified technicians are on hand to safely perform bee removal services across Maidstone and the surrounding areas of Kent.
As well as damage to you and your family, bees will also cause damage to your home. The sheer weight of a nest containing over 40,000 bees, combined with nesting materials, honey and food, is immense. This weight places enormous strain on your roof, walls, or floors – depending on where the nest is positioned, and before you know it, you’ve got some structural damage that requires expensive repairs!
Bee nests also create damage to your home via ‘honey seepage’. As the bees continually produce honey, it can seep through the nest, spilling onto your walls and floors. The sticky substance will ruin your soft furnishing and belongings, as well as the plaster on your walls. The sweet honey will also attract other pests into your home, including ants, cockroaches, and wax moths.
It’s clear to see that bees will cause extensive damage to your home while placing you and your loved ones at risk. Of course, you want to get rid of the problem as soon as possible, but why don’t home insurance providers cover bee infestations?
Homeowner Insurance and Bee Removals
Bee removal services obviously come with a cost, so can you delegate this to your homeowner insurance provider? Unfortunately no. Most, if not all, home insurance policies do not include cover for bee infestations. But why not?
From our research, we’ve found that most insurance providers classify bee infestations as insect infestations. Therefore, the homeowner’s policy does not cover their removal and any coincidental repair costs, as the damage they cause is inflicted over time and is not an immediate loss.
Most companies infer that if the damage taken place is severe enough to warrant a claim, the infestation must have been in place for an extended period. Consequently, they argue that it is not up to them, and instead, it should have been treated earlier by the homeowners to prevent such damage from ever occurring; therefore, home insurance does not cover the expense of bee removal services or the cost of any subsequent repairs.
Does Home Insurance Cover Pest Control?
Unfortunately, most homeowner insurance providers do not include pest control cover in their policies. Keeping your home clear of rodent or insect infestations is seen by these companies as necessary hygiene and maintenance – even though pest infestations can happen to anyone at any time!
Some insurance providers may offer add-ons in which you can pay more for your cover to include pest control services, but it’s rather rare to see.
Humane Bee Removal Services
Finding a bee infestation in your home is enough of a stressful ordeal as it is, but then discovering that your home insurance doesn’t cover the treatment is another devastating blow. Therefore, it’s worth checking your policy carefully before you purchase your insurance so you know exactly what you’re paying for and where you stand.
If you’ve discovered signs of bees on your property, then don’t panic; you’re in the right place! We offer humane bee removal services for homes and businesses across Maidstone and the surrounding areas of Kent. Our affordable and highly effective bee removals begin with a survey of the affected area to determine the location of the nest and the full extent of the problem.
Then, we begin removing the bees from their nests in a safe and controlled fashion. The hive is then relocated to a new location where the bees can thrive and continue making their honey without causing problems for anyone.
Speak to a friendly member of our team now on 01622 296055 for more information, or contact us to book your bee removal service in Maidstone.
Even though your home insurance policy does not cover them, our humane bee removals are available across Maidstone and the surrounding areas of Kent to keep you and your property safe from the threat of bee infestations.