In the fall the past several years, I've planted spring bulbs so that I have something to look forward to when the weather starts to warm up. Unfortunately, the rabbits seem to enjoy the bulbs as well. I've given up on growing crocuses since they seem to be a rabbit's favorite snack, and currently I'm working on how to keep them away from the tulips (cat fur seems to be helping).

But my adventures with the rabbits pale in comparison to the experiences some homeowners have with other creatures like skunks, squirrels, and raccoons. Every year, the questions are the same: Is a skunk a rodent and therefore excluded under the homeowners' policy? Is there coverage for any of the damage caused by the skunk?

The standard homeowner's form excludes coverage for damage caused by vermin, rodents, birds, or insects. Birds and insects are readily identifiable; it's the rodents and vermin that cause the problem. "Rodent" is a scientific classification; according to Merriam Webster Online a rodent is any of an order (Rodentia) of relatively small gnawing mammals (as a mouse, squirrel, or beaver) that have in both jaws a single pair of incisors with a chisel-shaped edge.