Animals Are Nesting in My Chimney
You hear a strange sound coming from your chimney. It usually occurs right when you are about to go to bed. This annoyance is quite bothersome, and you’re unsure of what to do.
The next morning you see what all the fuss is about. You shine a flashlight up your chimney, and you notice a raccoon and its family have made a home there. You say to yourself, “Animals nesting in my chimney? Anything but that!”
Suppose this sounds like you fear not. There are things you can do! Read our guide to see what animals may be in your chimney and what you can do to prevent them from entering.
Animals Nesting in My Chimney? What to Look For
Bats, mice, birds, squirrels, and raccoons are all animals that like to make homes in your chimney. Is there a scratching noise in your chimney? You could have an unwanted guest trapped in there.
If the noises are at certain times of day or night, your chimney is their new home. Here are a few of the most common culprits.
Bats
Chimneys resemble caves, so it makes sense that bats would find them attractive. You’ll tend to see and hear bats at times of dusk and dawn.
Mice
Like most animals during the winter months, mice seek shelter for warmth. They will attempt to scurry away and find a home for safety against predators.
Birds
Birds’ natural homes are sometimes hollowed out trees. A chimney is a natural substitute.
Squirrels
You’ve seen squirrels running around and climbing trees in your neighborhood. No wonder they may fall down your chimney flue.
Raccoons
Even with a closed damper, a raccoon can build a nest right on top. Female raccoons will have no problem creating a nest with your chimney when pregnant.
Animal Removal From Chimney
Now we have a better understanding of what animals are common in the chimney, let’s see how we can remove them. Safety is a must. Let’s do our proper research before we run the risk of injuring ourselves or the animals inside.
Bat Removal
Installation of an exclusion door will make it so bats will fly out of your home and not the other way around. You’ll first need to make sure the damper is closed.
Mice Removal
You’ll need to seal off likely entry points to your home such as your chimney. One of the best materials to use is steel mesh. An easy solution would be to place mouse traps in and around the fireplace.
We recommend humane traps to capture the mouse and set them free outside of your home.
Bird Removal
You’ll likely want to seek out wildlife control if a bird is in your chimney. Before doing so, you can attempt to scare the bird with loud noises and light. If you do so, make sure you wear a mask and gloves and wash your hands when done.
Squirrel Removal
Use a rope from the top of the chimney to the base of your fireplace. Since squirrels are known climbers, they’ll likely make good use of the rope.
Raccoon Removal
Play your favorite music to get these masked bandits out from your chimney! You can also invest in an eviction fluid that will make the female raccoon sense danger and want to escape along with the raccoon family.
Leave It to the Professionals
As many of these ideas may seem simple, it is not recommended to tackle these tasks yourself.
With these wild animals come bacteria and fungus. The bacteria and fungus can easily be inhaled and ingested. Once this happens, the risk of getting diseases like leptospirosis, cryptosporidiosis, raccoon roundworm, Histoplasma capsulatum, and more increases. Some can be fatal such as Histoplasma, which is a severe lung infection.
Are you wondering who removes animals from chimneys?
NJ Pest Control are experts in handling all types of animals that have made chimneys their home. “Animals nesting in my chimney” will be no longer be in your home once our team takes control of the situation at hand.
If you need assistance, reach out to us and we will remove the wildlife animal and or the infestation. We will install a chimney cap that will close off your chimney and not allow the pesky pets to make your chimney their home again.
