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.
Want to continue reading?
Become a Free PropertyCasualty360 Digital Reader
Your access to unlimited PropertyCasualty360 content isn’t changing.
Once you are an ALM digital member, you’ll receive:
- Breaking insurance news and analysis, on-site and via our newsletters and custom alerts
- Weekly Insurance Speak podcast featuring exclusive interviews with industry leaders
- Educational webcasts, white papers, and ebooks from industry thought leaders
- Critical converage of the employee benefits and financial advisory markets on our other ALM sites, BenefitsPRO and ThinkAdvisor
Already have an account? Sign In Now
© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
