Chimney Care Company's Blog
What To Do About Animals in Your Chimney
Each spring, animals from squirrels and raccoons to bats and birds look for the perfect place to build their nests. Often times, that “perfect place” turns out to be a chimney. If you hear the telltale sounds of scuffling animal paws, flapping wings or chirping in your chimney, you’re probably left wondering what to do when an animal is in your chimney. Here’s your step-by-step guide to dealing with this particular issue.
Don’t try to deal with the animals on your own.
Trying to extract an animal from your chimney could be a dangerous task and even at times lead to injuries. Resist the temptation to deal with an animal on your own. Never try to smoke an animal out of the chimney, this will likely kill or severely injure the animal, leaving you with an even bigger problem. Additionally, some species, such as chimney swifts, are protected – to remove them from your chimney during their nesting is illegal.
Close off openings between your chimney in your home.
A major problem of having an animal in your chimney is that it could make its way into your home, bringing unwanted diseases and causing extensive damages to your home. If you can hear an animal in your chimney, first, create as many barriers as possible between the flue and your home. Next, close your chimney damper to prevent the animal or bird from descending into your firebox, and finally, close your fireplace doors to create one final barrier to prevent the animal from invading your home.
Call in the professionals.
Once you have your chimney blocked off as well as possible, call in a professional to help deal with the animal nesting in your chimney. Some chimney sweeps will remove animals themselves, or you might need a company specifically skilled in animal removal.
Have your chimney cleaned and inspected.
Once the animal has been removed from the chimney, you will need the chimney swept and inspected to remove any debris and ensure that the animal hasn’t left behind any damages. The debris and damages left behind can leave your home at risk for a chimney fire. You’ll want to rely on a CSIA-certified chimney sweep to be sure that your chimney is safe to use again.
Install a chimney cap to prevent future animal intrusion.
To prevent animal intrusions from happening, have your chimney outfitted with a caged chimney cap. With a chimney cap firmly in place, animals and birds won’t be able to access the flue opening when they’re looking for a place to nest. Your chimney sweep should always check the condition of your chimney cap during your annual inspection to verify that it is secure and will continue to protect your chimney.
If you have animals or birds rustling in your chimney — or if you’d like to prevent an animal from nesting in your chimney this spring — call the Chimney Care Co. to schedule an appointment. We can clean and inspect your chimney after an animal intrusion or install a new chimney cap to keep animals out of your flue.
Help – A critter is in my chimney!
We may be partially through winter already, but there’s a lot left to go. Children around the world spent the first portion picturing Santa Claus coming down their chimneys; many of them could now be wondering if it’s possible for anything else to come down them as well. One thing in particular—a wild animal—can cause huge problems and wreak absolute havoc inside your chimney and home. They can bring an assortment of parasites and/or diseases with them and, at the same time, can cause a blockage in your chimney that could ultimately result in dangerous (and potentially deadly) byproducts of combustion being unable to travel up and out of your chimney. Most birds, squirrels, and other animals can get trapped and die in the chimney; only raccoons bats, and chimney swifts are capable of getting themselves out of the chimney once they’ve gotten themselves in.
WHY ARE ANIMALS ATTRACTED TO YOUR CHIMNEY IN THE FIRST PLACE?
Animals are drawn to your chimney because it acts as a perfect nursery for them. In the wild, these same animals could very well search out a tall, hollow tree (which is quite similar in many ways to your chimney). Both provide a safe place for their young seeing, providing a location in which it makes it very difficult for predators to get to and harm them. Unfortunately, deforestation is quickly removing their natural habitats and leaving them with fewer and fewer alternatives. This results in your chimney looking too inviting for them to pass up.
HOW CAN YOU PREVENT THESE ANIMALS FROM ENTERING YOUR CHIMNEY?
Placing a chimney cap on your chimney is the best way, by far, to prevent animals from entering and nesting inside your chimney. A cap with wire mesh that is small enough to keep even the smallest of pests out (e.g. bats), while at the same time large enough to allow the harmful combustion byproducts (e.g. carbon monoxide) to escape is the ideal solution. Making your chimney look a little less welcoming is a key to keeping the wild things outside and leaving you with more time to focus on keeping your family safe inside.
HOW DO YOU GET THEM OUT ONCE THEY’VE GOTTEN IN?
It’s not easy to get animals out of your chimney once they’ve managed to get themselves in. Because of the afore-mentioned parasites and diseases these animals could be carrying, coming in direct contact with them is something you’ll want to avoid if at all possible. They will, however, need some sort of help getting out since flue linings don’t make it easy or even possible for most of them to climb back out. If you believe you have an animals or nest in your chimney, call a certified chimney sweep immediately. We’re trained to inspect and handle circumstances such as these.
Your home is designed to give you and your family a place where you can feel safe and warm. Animal carcasses and their nesting materials can quickly compromise this safety and warmth. As such, keeping them out of your chimney is crucial! Here at Chimney Care Company, your family’s sense of security and safety is important to us. We know how hard it can be to trust someone with the safety and well being of your home and family. But with us, you can rest assured that we’ll take care of your family as if it were our very own. We appreciate your business and look forward to helping you keep your family safe and warm for years to come!