You love your fireplace, no doubt about it. And birds and other animals love your chimney. Yes, your chimney is a natural draw for birds and animals, and now that the weather is turning nicer, you’ll need to be on the lookout for these unwelcome visitors. Luckily, this is an easy fix.
Natural Home For Animals
There are usually two reasons that an animal is in your chimney. First, it could be that a small bird or animal has fallen into your chimney and can’t get back out. The other reason you may have something in your chimney is because it makes a perfect place for birds, raccoons, or squirrels to build nests. If you are hearing screeching and scratching in your chimney, chances are pretty good that one of these two things has happened.
If you have an animal in your chimney, the one thing you should not do is try to smoke the animal out. All this will accomplish is killing the animal, and that is not only inhumane, it is also smelly. There are other things that you can do. The easiest is to just wait it out. If you have a raccoon, squirrel, bird, or other critter that is having babies in your chimney, if you can handle the noises, you can just wait until the babies are big enough and the moms will eventually get the babies out.
If A Bird Or Squirrel Gets Trapped
You may try to lure him out through the fireplace and out the door or window. If it’s a squirrel, you can try this: hang a rope down the chimney to give him an escape route. If this doesn’t work, it might work better to try to lure him down into the fireplace and into a live trap. First, open a door or a window to give him a place to go if he tries to make a run for it.
Put the trap quietly into the fireplace. Then just leave the room and try to keep things as quiet as possible. Once the squirrel gets in the trap, you can get the trap, bring it outside, and let him go. If it’s a bird, open the dampers so that the bird drops down into your fireplace. Open the fireplace doors, and lightly throw a cloth over it. This will calm the bird enough that you can gently bring it outside and let him fly free.
The Best Option
The best way that you can deal with critters in your chimney is to prevent them from getting in in the first place. According to the Chimney Safety Institute of America website, a chimney cap is the best line of defense when it comes to keeping animals out of your chimney.
Call in the Pros
Now is the perfect time to look into installing a chimney cap – before the springtime breezes lure those animals into your chimney. Call Owens Chimney Systems today to set up an appointment to have your chimney inspected. We offer you the best advice and service when it comes to installing a chimney cap or manufacturing a completely custom chimney cap – and we can take care of the rest of your chimney needs as well!