Homeowners hit with massive bills for damage by animals and rodent is causing most damage by far

HOMEOWNERS are going nuts as squirrels wreak more havoc than any other creature — chewing through wires, beams, guttering and insulation.

The number of insurance claims for damage caused by the rampaging rodents has leapt by 51 per cent in the past year.

1

According to LV=General Insurance the average claim for squirrel damage is £3,000.

But one claim was for £30,000 to cover repairs and temporary housing when a squirrel gnawed through roof timbers, underfelt and asbestos.

One claimant got an electric shock when ­wiring near water pipes was chewed, while another’s motorhome caught fire because of damage to wiring in the dashboard.

LV said claims for damage by all animals rose by more than a third in the past year, with wasp nests proving particularly problematic.

One customer set fire to his hedge, home and the house next door trying to destroy a nest.

Claims director Martin Milliner said: “Checking your home for any gaps which could let ­animals enter would help prevent the majority of damage we see to pipes and electrical cables.”

This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk