Does Homeowner's Insurance Cover Pest Control or Wildlife Removal?

The short answer: routine pest control is almost never covered, but damage caused by certain pests may be. Here's how to navigate your policy.

What's Generally NOT Covered

Standard homeowner's insurance policies typically exclude:

• Routine or preventive pest control treatments
• Termite extermination (most policies; check yours)
• Rodent removal (mice, rats)
• Wildlife removal (raccoons, squirrels, bats)
• Bed bugs

Insurers treat pest infestations as a maintenance issue — something homeowners are expected to prevent and address themselves.

What Might Be Covered

Some damage caused by pests or wildlife may be covered if it results from a sudden, accidental event:

• Wildlife damage to the structure — e.g., a raccoon chewing through the roof deck or squirrels damaging electrical wiring (coverage varies widely by policy)
• Sudden collapse caused by termite damage (rare, and requires specific policy language)
• Contamination cleanup — some policies cover remediation of bat guano or rodent droppings if it's part of a covered loss

What to Do Before Work Begins

1. Contact your insurance company to report the issue and ask whether any coverage applies.
2. Document the damage with photos and video before any cleanup or treatment.
3. Get a written estimate from a licensed contractor — your insurer may require this.
4. Ask the insurer to inspect the damage before work begins if they indicate coverage may apply.