Does a Home Warranty Cover Bee Removal?

Honeybee infestations are no less serious than infestations of roaches, termites, rodents, or other pests. Even if no one in your household is allergic to a bee’s sting, bees and beehives can cause substantial damage to your home. As hives get larger, they can stress or weaken studs, joists, and other structural components. Hives can erode drywall and impair the function of a home’s electrical system. Honey and moisture can stain ceilings and walls. Beehives even attract other kinds of pests.

Given the high damage potential and the expenses associated with a bee infestation, homeowners often ask if a home warranty or homeowner’s insurance will cover the cost of bee nest removal. Unfortunately, this is unlikely. A warranty or insurance policy will rarely cover beehive removal. Let’s take a closer look to explain why this is. Worldwide, there are an estimated 20,000 species of bees, with approximately 3,600 species native to North America north of Mexico. This vast diversity means that bee infestations can vary greatly in terms of species involved, behavior, and nesting habits, complicating efforts for insurers to provide comprehensive coverage for bee-related issues.

Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Bee Removal?

Homeowner’s insurance is meant to insure against sudden and unexpected losses to your home or personal property. A homeowner’s insurance policy usually covers theft of your belongings, and it typically covers losses due to fire, wind, fallen trees, and other such disasters.

Structural damage sustained by a bee infestation is not sudden. Massive hives develop over a substantial stretch of time, and the position of insurance companies is that homeowners should be diligent and see to honey bee removal before the problem gets out of hand. For this reason, homeowner’s insurance does not cover honeybee infestation removal costs.

Will a Home Warranty Cover Bee Removal?

A home warranty is distinct from homeowner’s insurance. Unlike insurance companies, many warranty providers offer the option of pest control coverage. There are limits, however. Warranty companies are unlikely to cover infestations that require the services of highly specialized exterminators. They are also unlikely to cover infestations that lead to substantial structural damage. This is because these types of infestations are just too costly to resolve. Warranty providers would not be able to cover these services without drastically raising their rates.

Unfortunately, safely removing a beehive requires the tools and care of a trained specialist, and neglected hives can cause hundreds or thousands of dollars in property damage. Home warranty providers do not cover bee removal for these reasons.

Here are some other kinds of pest infestations that a home warranty policy will usually not cover:

Termites

Rats, mice, and other rodents

Bed bugs and ticks

Fire ants

Poisonous spiders, such as black widows and brown recluses

How to Manage a Bee Infestation

The high damage potential of beehives and limited coverage options for their removal means it is extremely important to attend to a bee infestation as soon as you notice it. Contact a professional who is prepared to relocate the hive.

The cost of removing a beehive varies. Be prepared to spend about $200 to remove a small hive. Larger hives can cost many hundreds or upwards of $1,000. Below are some other factors that can inflate the hive’s removal cost.

Location. A hive on a low-hanging eave is easier to remove than one that is thirty feet above the ground. A hive that is more dangerous to reach will cost more to get rid of.

Species. Some specialists have different rates for different species. Bumblebees, for example, are often cheaper to relocate than honeybees.

Ease of access. Hives that are easy to access are cheaper to remove. Hives within walls, ceilings, and other such places pose a greater expense.

Liberty Home Guard Pest Control Coverage

Though your home warranty may not be able to help you with a bee infestation, there are many other common pests that it will cover. Liberty Home Guard provides optional pest control services for our customers. Our policy will protect your home against ants, cockroaches, silverfish, moths, centipedes and millipedes, earwigs, crickets, paper wasps, and non-poisonous spiders.

We’re partnered with hundreds of pest control service professionals across America. As soon as you notice a pest in your home, you can file a claim on our website. We’ll take care of the rest. 

To learn more about our pest control warranty coverage, request a free quote through our website. You can also speak with our team by calling (866)-834-5570.