The chimney plays a crucial role in venting combustion byproducts from your home. However, as the world becomes more advanced and animal habitats are affected, animals see chimneys as ideal spots for living, building nests, and staying sheltered from bad weather and predators.
As you might imagine, animals in your chimney can triggers some serious issues. When creatures like birds and rodents can’t get themselves out of a chimney they’ve entered, they frequently end up dying inside. In addition, animals in chimneys bring ticks, fleas, and other parasites – which then have easy access to your home.
Combine all that with unpleasant odors, chimney clogs, the threat of diseases, strange noises, and fire hazards from nesting materials, and you’ve got a pretty big problem on your hands. Fortunately, our experts are here to help.
Indications That Wildlife Has Entered Your Chimney
Not sure if you have uninvited visitors in your flue? Here are some common signs that are good to be aware of:
- Strange Noises: If you hear chirping, screeching, or scratching sounds somewhere in your home, always check on your chimney for signs of wildlife. Unusual sounds in the chimney are the first indicator that critters are invading your space.
Animal Droppings: When animals make nests in the chimney, they frequently leave waste in the vicinity. Animal droppings in your fireplace – along with any foul odors – are usually an indication that you have animals residing in your chimney.- Feathers & Fur: Seeing fur and feathers on your roof or in your fireplace? This is another clear indication that animals are dwelling in your chimney. The most common chimney dwellers are squirrels, raccoons, and birds.
- Unpleasant Smells: Your flue may develop a particular – and unwelcome – smell when animals reside there and start bringing in food and having babies. The room where your fireplace is can start to smell like food, urine, and feces. And if the smell is especially overpowering, there’s a good chance that an animal perished within the chimney.
- Excited Pets: Compared to humans, pets – such as cats and dogs – have considerably stronger senses of smell and hearing making them more alert to any intruders in your chimney. Additionally, since animals are more perceptive than humans, they may spot warning signs. For example, if your pet suddenly becomes agitated or excited near the fireplace, there’s a high probability that your chimney has something living in it.
Our Animal Removal Process
Once you’ve verified that there are animals residing in your chimney, you have two options for getting rid of them: do it yourself or contact a specialist. Depending on the animal, removing it from your chimney by yourself might be a challenging and even potentially risky task. In addition, you should be informed that, under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, any chimney swifts that enter and nest in your chimney cannot be legally removed.
To stay safer and avoid any legal fines, the best course of action is to hire a professional from the start. Them team at Mr. Smokestack are knowledgeable about all chimney types, styles, and designs and have all the necessary equipment and know-how to remove animals safely and effectively.
Preventing Animals From Entering Your Chimney
We’re always happy to help you get rid of unwanted pests, but if you ask us, keeping them from entering in the first place is always the better option. Here are some ways to do just that.
✓ Have a Chimney Cap Installed
The best method for preventing animals from accessing your chimney is to invest in a chimney cap. Chimney caps are installed at the top of the flue and help to shield the chimney opening from animals and any materials they may be trying to bring in. As an added bonus, chimney caps protect against water entry, debris buildup, and downdrafts too.
Given how they function, chimney caps are probably going to be the most effective way to keep animals out on a more permanent basis – and to maintain the health of your chimney in the process.
✓ Schedule Annual Chimney Inspections
Another great way to ensure your flue stays free of animals is to have your chimney regularly inspected by a professional sweep. Our experts are highly knowledgeable and experienced in maintaining different kinds of chimneys, and we can offer advice on the best chimney cap for your system – while also looking for any potential damage or obstructions that the animals might have made.
✓ Consider Upgrading Your Damper
If you currently have a throat damper, consider upgrading to a top-sealing option. These more effectively seal your chimney, and they can work alongside your cap to help keep animals (and water and debris) out of your flue. As an added plus, they also prevent downdrafts, and they keep your flue warmer too, which helps prevent backdrafting.
Choose Us for Wildlife Removal
Mr. Smokestack Chimney Service is the best company for professional wildlife removal services, chimney sweeping, and chimney maintenance.
When you hire us for wildlife removal, we will conduct a thorough evaluation of your chimney and fireplace, then provide a quick, free consultation to go over our recommendations for moving forward. As we prepare for fall and more frequent fireplace use, the sooner you can call us in, the better!
Reach out to us at 919-747-1859 or book your appointment online today!