One of the most common problems that we can find in our home is encountering the dreaded wood insects. In these cases we tend to get very nervous and not know exactly what is the best solution for this problem.
First of all, it should be checked in what state the pest is and what furniture in the house is affected. After that, the ideal is to check if our Home insurance has coverage of related pests with the wood-eating bugs. Contados Seguros currently covers it and with limitations, so as not to make its cost more expensive since it would substantially raise the premium or price of the Insurance.
Hiring a good home insurance is a good decision without a doubt and essential and with the adequate coverage minimally, since you never know when you will have to face problems, some of them serious, that entail great expenses.
Euroteide Insurance, Insurance Advisory with more than 25 years of experience In the general insurance sector and savings and investment products, located in the south of Tenerife, we are well-prepared professionals to help you when it comes to contract your home insurance policy with the best coverage and personalized solutions that you need.
Wood insects and their consequences
The so-called wood insects they are so named because they feed on it and cause serious damage. Even more so if the affected wood is part of the structure of the house.
There are different types of xylophagi, which is the correct name for the bugs that eat wood, and each one of them has different characteristics. In most of them it is the larvae that feed on the wood, creating tunnels that they use to exit when they are adults.
Wood termites
It is one of the worst pests that exist, when we talk about xylophagous insects. This is due to colonies are very numerous and feed fast on wood. Also, these insects are difficult to detect and it is usually done by tracing sawdust on the ground or by scrapped wood, when it is too late.
Suelen proliferate in humid and poorly ventilated environments and there are different types depending on the type of wood they feed on: damp wood termites or dry wood termites, for example.
Woodworm
It is one of the best known insects and one of the most difficult to detect, since the larvae feed on a huge quantity of wood, but it starts from the inside, appearing wood worms. Once it has become an adult, it ends the hole in a round shape and goes outside. They are usually found in woods rich in resins of leafy species.
Wood wasps
This is perhaps one of the insects that attracts the most attention due to its size, since they can measure up to 5 centimeters. In this case, the females place the larvae in the wood, which are the ones that feed on it.
Weevil
This brown bug tends to feed on rotten and damp wood. As in previous cases, also it is the larva that feeds on the wood and usually spends up to three years doing it while digging in it.
Wood drill
El Hylotrupes bajulus has a behavior similar to woodworm, although it is quite larger in size. It is the larva of this insect that feeds on wood, making cracks in it and leaving holes of irregular shape, unlike those of the woodworm that are round.
Carpenter Ants
Carpenter ants are not wood-eating insects, that is, they do not feed on wood. However, they use it to make their nests, perforating it and being able to weaken any structure made of this material. They are usually easily identifiable due to their shape and the chips they expel to the outside. In addition, they leave the wood to feed.
Wood moth
These xylophages are attracted to tender, moist wood. It is the larvae that feed on it and do so in the direction of the wood grain.
Xylophagous fungi
Although they are less known and important, they also can cause serious damage when feeding on the components of the wood structure. There are three main types: brown or cubic rot, soft rot and white rot. The first type attacks coniferous species and causes the wood to turn dark, being the one that causes damage faster. Soft rot occurs in woods with high humidity and in contact with the earth, preferentially degrading cellulose. The latter type is associated with broadleaf trees and produces white patches due to degradation.
All of these insects and fungi can destroy wooden structures and furniture, causing high-value financial damage and potentially jeopardizing the safety of a home.
Does home insurance have coverage for pests like these?
If you want to know if your home insurance has pest coverage, you should go to read the particular conditions of your policy. Although most home insurance did not currently cover this type of service some of them have some type of associated coverage, for example:
- One visit per year related to xylophagous insects.
- Some specific treatment, for example, against ants or woodworm.
If it is a problem that worries you due to the fear of losing the valuable furniture of your home, you should consult it before hiring a Home Insurance to make sure that it is included in your coverage.
There are certain types of insects, xylophages, that can cause serious damage to furniture, doors and the structure of a home. Some of the best known and most harmful are woodworm, termites, the wood moth or carpenter ants. All of them difficult to detect and whose larvae can end up in a short time with any wooden element that is in our house, generating a plague that can cause real problems. In addition, a few Home Insurances have coverage in these cases, including some of them a visit a year or some treatment against one or more of these insects.
To find out if you have coverage against these types of pests, check the particular conditions of your home insurance.
Euroteide Insurance is a specialist in advising and offering you different options for home insurance with the best coverage and solutions with a fair premium or price. Always by your side to help you when hiring your Home Insurance policy and solving your claims or claims that arise before the insurance company.