It might be amusing to watch the squirrels scurrying round the park, they seem so tame they'll almost take food out of your hand, but these cute little bushy tailed creatures are actually one of five of the most common pests and can cause thousands of pounds worth of damage if they get into your house. They will chew furniture and break your precious ornaments.



When it comes to insurance, Saga Insurance policies cover damage done by squirrels in all its household policies. Its cover-plus policy also offers protection from all vermin damage. Even the less friendly looking ones.

Surprisingly enough, hardly any policies cover vermin damage, although most insurers would cover subsequent damage if, for example, a fire was started as a result of vermin chewing through a wire. There are lots of examples of extreme damage and there's a case where the upper storey of a house collapsed because rats had chewed through the joists.

There is a company who offer a pest control product as an add-on to their home insurance. It costs £21.99 per year and could save up to £150 by removing the infestation and giving advice on how to avoid problems in the future. The company is esure and pests covered are wasps, hornets, mice, grey squirrels and rates. This service is designed for pest control and doesn't cover damage caused by the infestation.

Your local council will provide a vermin control service, but as these things tend to be seasonal, when you need help, so does everyone else and waiting times can be considerable. As soon as temperatures begin to fall at the beginning of winter, all sensible rodents head indoors! Mice commonly head for their favourite hiding places, under the sink and stairs and in the loft, and their number one choice appears to be around the hot water tank. Mice and rats will gnaw through cables and can cause fires, rats will gnaw through pipes and can cause flooding, so it really important that you act swiftly to get rid of these pests.

When it comes to finding a private pest controller, there are some well known and respected companies, such as Rentokil, but anyone can call themselves a pest control contractor an there are no regulations or standards for the service. Standards are variable.

Prevention would, of course, be even better than the need to claim. In the home, be tidy, clean up spills quickly, deal with dirty dishes and vacuum on a regular basis. In the loft or spare room, clear out unwanted boxes, packing tissue, unwanted cuddly toys and clothes. Vermin can live and breed undisturbed in these un-used areas. Seal up holes around pipe work, it seems that mice follow pipes and wiring routes, so stop them getting in. A tip here is to use plaster or steel wool to seal up the gaps.

Moving outside, check that drain covers are in place and in good condition. Get rid of the clutter in the garden, compost leaves and remove piles of wood. Cut back tall grass and weeds. You should never compost processed food, this will attract vermin who then have a clean comfortable home ready made.

Apparently it's very much easier to get rid of rats than mice, but better to avoid the problem in the first place.

Maybe it's time to check out what position you'd be in if you were unlucky enough to be faced with any of these problems. An on-line broker will make some enquiries for you to see which companies are vermin-conscious and compare what's on offer.

Don't wait until the roof caves in!