Safe chimney animal removal and cleanup in Ballast Point

If a bat gets into the house

A bat that makes it into the living space should not be touched with bare hands. The CDC advises anyone bitten or scratched by a bat to wash the wound with soap and water and get medical help right away.

For a bat found in the home, the CDC recommends contacting animal control or the health department so it can be captured safely for rabies testing. Once that is handled, we can inspect the chimney for the way the bat got in.

Keep people and pets out of that room and close the interior door while you make the call. If anyone may have been bitten or scratched, medical advice comes before anything else.

Who handles the animal and who handles the chimney

Florida's rule allows property owners to deal with nuisance wildlife on their property or to authorize someone else to do it. Protected birds and bats have their own rules on top of that.

We are clear about the division of work. Where an animal must be trapped, excluded or rehabilitated, we coordinate with the right wildlife help. The chimney side, meaning the inspection, cleaning, damper and flue checks and the cap, is ours.

That division keeps each part of the job with the people suited to it, and you get one plain explanation of the whole plan before anything starts. The inspection that begins it is free.

A top-sealing damper as an extra barrier

Some homeowners pair a cap with a top-sealing damper, a damper mounted at the top of the flue that closes the chimney when the fireplace is not in use. It adds a second barrier at the top and is a separate installation from the cap.

Whether it suits your chimney depends on the flue and the crown. We explain the option when it is relevant and price it separately, so you can decide without pressure.

A nest in a flue that serves an appliance

Some chimneys have a flue that vents a fuel-burning appliance rather than the fireplace. A nest or debris in that flue can interfere with how the appliance vents, which is a more urgent problem than a nest in an unused fireplace flue.

If a carbon monoxide alarm sounds, leave the house and call 911 from outside. Once the home is safe, the flue needs checking and clearing before the appliance is used again, and the entry must be closed so the nest does not return.