Does home insurance cover termite damage?

Does home insurance cover termite damage? Florida’s wonderful climate not only attracts people from all over the world, the heat and humidity of our climate, unfortunately, is also the ideal habitat for termites.
The concern of many Florida homeowners is what happens if the biggest investment of your life becomes infested with termites. Does home insurance protect you against the risk of these destructive insects?
The answer is no. Insurance companies do not cover damage caused by termites, nor disinfestation work, considering it a preventable risk.
In order to prevent termite infestation, it is important to know that there are three species of termites in Florida: drywood, wetwood, and subterranean.
Formosan subterranean termites enter homes through wood that is in contact with the ground. They can also enter through unsealed joints and create air colonies and infest ceilings and places where there is damp wood. They also create large colonies in soils where water accumulates.
Drywood termites are one of Florida’s most destructive pests. They are larger insects than the subterranean ones and to survive they need the wood they consume or through the air.
Dampwood termites are the largest of the three. As their name indicates, they live in wood that is in contact with a water source – stagnant water or water from a leak -. This species is very abundant in the Florida Keys.
Preventive measures against termite infestation include keeping trees three feet from the house. Avoid draining water near the foundation of the property. Make sure that bathrooms do not create humidity. Repair leaky pipes and gutters near or under the house. Use treated wood in all areas. Carry out a specialized inspection against termites once a year, mainly in old houses and thus detect early signs of a possible infestation.
If you observe a dark dust, similar to ground coffee, in certain places of the house, or the wooden floor looks lumpy, there are many insect wings on the windows or lamps in the air conditioning filters, you perceive grooves in walls, these symptoms could mean your home is infested and you should urgently call a termite control company. Does home insurance cover termite damage?

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