Hire Mr. Smokestack for Wildlife Removal Services in Raleigh, Durham, Greensboro & More
Wild animals have a few basic needs to ensure their survival – food, water, and shelter. And since we’ve taken up a lot of their natural habitat, it’s not unusual for our living spaces to collide.
Fortunately for those in Raleigh, Durham, and countless areas surrounding, Mr. Smokestack Chimney Service provides expert and humane wildlife removal services. As chimney care professionals, we know all of the common hiding places and the most vulnerable spots for animals to gain access to your home, chimney, or attic. If you are having an issue with wildlife intrusion, we will do a complete assessment to determine the best solution to keeping unwanted animals out.
Call us now at 919-747-1859 or get in touch through our website.
What Types of Animals Commonly Get Stuck in Homes, Attics & Chimneys?
In North Carolina, we have a wide range of wild animals that could infest your home after sneaking in through the chimney, attic, or other vulnerable opening. These animals can get inside your home’s walls or into your attic and become a major nuisance, damaging your plumbing and electrical systems, spreading diseases, and wreaking havoc on the peace and comfort of your home.
Some of the most common animals we come across include:
We also see opossums, beavers, skunks, and other woodland critters. No matter what you find, don’t hesitate to reach out!
How Do I Know if There’s Wildlife in My Home?
When it comes to wildlife in your home, the sooner you note it, the better. It’s much simpler to remove a few animals before the situation explodes into a full-blown infestation – two rats can easily create a population of around 1,250 in just one year. Long story short, early detection is important.
Fortunately for homeowners, most wildlife make for terrible roommates and they leave plenty of evidence that they’ve moved in. Here are a few things to keep an eye out for:
- There’s an uptick in animal sightings. Sometimes, you may see the animals themselves, especially if they enter through the roofline, foundation, fireplace, or crawl space. Rodents are the most likely culprit to use the fireplace to access food sources in your home.
- You hear unusual noises. Animals don’t have a sense of volume control. Wildlife in attics, walls, or chimneys make distinctive sounds. Scratching, scurrying, chirping, flapping, or thumping noises coming from anywhere in your home is a good indication that critters have set up shop.
- Foul odors are coming from your walls or fireplace. Unpleasant smells are a calling card for wildlife. The combination of droppings, nests, and food waste can produce distinctive odors. If you suddenly notice a strong, pungent smell, it could be a sign that unwanted guests are present.
- You start finding strange things around your home. Animals scavenge for materials to build their nests and you may notice pieces of insulation, leaves, twigs, or other debris collecting in corners of your home.
- There’s damage to the chimney cap, siding, foundation, etc. Check out the chimney cap, foundation, and other possibly entry points for signs of damage. Wildlife may try to access your home by damaging or knocking off pieces of it.
- There’s unusual activity on your roof. A lot of known pests are nocturnal, meaning they’ll leave the attic, walls, or chimney to look for food at dusk and return at dawn. When you take your trash out in the evening or if you’re out for an early morning run, take a good look up at your roofline. You may be able to catch a glimpse of the trespassers in action.
What Are the Risks of Animals Living in My Home?
Having wild animals or pests move into your home is more than just an annoyance – it can pose serious risks to your health, safety, and property.
- Health & Disease Transmission: Wild animals, rodents, and bats can carry diseases – raccoon feces can contain roundworm, bats and raccoons can carry rabies, and rodents can spread Hantavirus, Leptospirosis, and Salmonellosis through their urine and droppings.
- Property & Structural Damage: Animals can wreak havoc on your home’s infrastructure. Rodents and squirrels love to chew through wood, drywall, and plastic pipes (which can lead to water leaks), while larger animals like raccoons can tear up shingles, soffits, and fascia to create entry points.
- Fire Hazards: Rodents and squirrels have continuously growing teeth and a biological urge to gnaw. They frequently chew on electrical wiring behind walls and in attics, stripping the insulation and creating a significant risk of electrical fires.
- Parasite Infestations: Wild animals rarely travel alone. They often bring fleas, ticks, mites, and bedbugs into your living spaces, which can quickly migrate from the attic or walls to your carpets, furniture, and pets.
- Ruined Insulation & Air Quality: Animals will tear up fiberglass and cellulose insulation to build their nests. Furthermore, accumulation of animal waste and decaying food stores in the attic or crawl spaces can ruin insulation, cause foul odors, and contaminate your indoor air quality via your HVAC system.
- Aggressive Behavior & Physical Injury: While most wild animals prefer to avoid humans, they can become highly aggressive if they feel cornered, startled, or if they are defending their young. Bites, scratches, and attacks are a real danger if you encounter them unexpectedly.
How Can I Prevent Wildlife From Entering My Home in the Future?
Prevention is always the best option when it comes to your chimney maintenance. Stopping animals from getting into your chimney in the first place is the best way to deal with them. Here’s how to do it:
- Seal common entry points. Inspect your home’s exterior for gaps, cracks, and holes. Seal any openings larger than a quarter-inch using heavy-duty materials like steel wool, concrete mortar, or copper mesh, as rodents can chew through plastic, rubber, and wood.
- Install a chimney cap with a mesh screen. A chimney cap that features a mesh screen – or even a standalone chimney screen – can prevent animals from entering your chimney, while still allowing for proper smoke ventilation. If you have a cap already, make sure that it fits properly and is in good condition.
- Trim tree branches and vegetation. Cut back tree limbs so they are at least 6 to 8 feet away from your roofline. Overhanging branches act as natural bridges for squirrels, raccoons, and roof rats to access your roof and gutters.
- Secure your trash. Use heavy-duty plastic or metal garbage cans with tight-fitting, locking lids. If possible, keep your trash cans inside a garage or shed until the morning of pickup to avoid attracting nocturnal foragers like raccoons and opossums.
- Eliminate outdoor food sources. Avoid leaving pet food outside overnight. If you have bird feeders, use squirrel guards, clean up spilled seed daily, or bring them indoors at night.
- Maintain your yard and roofline. Keep your lawn mowed, bushes trimmed, and clear away brush piles, hollow logs, or stacked firewood near the house, as these provide excellent hiding spots for pests.
- Manage exterior lighting. Consider installing motion-activated floodlights or sprinklers around the perimeter of your home to scare off nocturnal animals. You can also use natural deterrents, like flashing lights in dark crawlspaces.
Just a few quick and easy steps can prevent a long list of problems. Avoid the headaches – ask us how we can set you up right by calling or booking online with us now.
Should I Try to Remove Animals From My Home Myself?
Attempting to remove wildlife from an attic, crawl space, chimney, or other area of your home can be dangerous for both you and the animals. Wild critters are clever and agile. They won’t be easy to get to and will move deeper into the space they’re hiding if they think they’re in danger.
If you don’t have the proper knowledge or experience handling wildlife, you could inadvertently injure or stress them out, especially if they are young or nesting. If there are babies present, the mother will naturally try to protect them and might attack you. Some animals like raccoons and bats may carry diseases or parasites that can be transmitted to humans through bites, scratches, or contact with waste.
Is It Safe to Use My Fireplace if There’s Wildlife in the Chimney?
No, you should not use your fireplace if you suspect an animal infestation. Animal nests are typically made of combustible materials like twigs and leaves. When you light a fire, the heat and sparks can ignite the nests, which could potentially lead to a chimney fire.
In addition, it’s unethical. Trying to smoke an animal out will only cause more harm than good, and if the critter gets stuck and passes away, then you’re in no better place than you were before.
If you think you have a wildlife problem, schedule a consultation with Mr. Smokestack Chimney Service by calling 919-747-1859 or contacting us through our website. We’ll recommend a safe option to take care of your critter invasion.
Can I simply light a fire to smoke the animals out?
As mentioned, we don’t recommend this method of animal removal. At Mr. Smokestack Chimney Service, we prioritize the safety and comfort of our clients, but we strongly believe that animal removal should be done as humanely as possible.
A chimney is a small, confined space – lighting a fire in the fireplace will cause distress to the animals in the chimney, and they may panic and attempt to escape. Even worse, exposing wildlife to heat, smoke, and flames could result in harm or death to the animals.
Are There Legal Restrictions When Removing Wildlife From Chimneys?
Some wildlife species are protected by local, state, or federal regulations. Chimney swifts are a good example, as they’re one of the more known chimney invaders. Swifts are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which means removing or destroying nests with eggs or young hatchlings is a federal offense, punishable by law.
If you have a bird infestation, but you aren’t sure of the species, call us. Our chimney technicians are certified by the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA), and we know how to identify chimney swifts. In most cases, we can’t remove the nests until they’ve voluntarily abandoned them (usually a month after their eggs have hatched), but we can help you manage it, then secure your chimney so the chimney swifts can’t return next season.
How Does Mr. Smokestack Remove Wildlife?
Our removal methods vary depending on the type of animal, if there are babies present, local regulations, and their location in the chimney. No matter what type of removal method we need, you can rest assured that it is safe and is intended to protect the animal. A few techniques we may utilize include:
- One-way doors. Also called one-way exclusion devices, one-way doors are often used for animals like squirrels and raccoons. These devices allow animals to exit the space, but stop them from reentering. Once the animals have left, the chimney technician will remove the device and seal the entry point.
- Live traps. Traps are more suitable for animals that can’t easily exit through one-way doors. The traps are placed strategically to capture the animal safely. Once trapped, the animal can be relocated to a more suitable habitat.
- Removal by hand. In some cases, we may need to physically remove animals from the space using specialized tools and protective gear. This method is typically reserved for situations where other removal methods are impractical.
You Don’t Have to Live With Unwanted Roommates
At Mr. Smokestack, we pride ourselves on not only removing the animals, but also on taking action so that the animals cannot return. If you think you might have a wildlife problem, it’s important to take care of it right away. The longer the problem persists, the more damage the animals can cause, making it more difficult and dangerous to get rid of them.
Don’t wait – schedule an appointment online or call us at 919-747-1859.
A chimney and fireplace sweeping is one of the most affordable chimney and vent services to schedule for keeping your chimney system working at maximum efficiency.