Careful chimney animal removal for homes in Hyde Park

Keeping the animal out of the living space

The fireplace damper and the glass doors or screen are the barrier between the chimney and the room. While an animal is in the chimney, keep both closed and resist opening the damper to look.

If the fireplace has no doors, block the opening with something the animal cannot push aside, and keep children and pets out of the room. Those steps buy time while the animal is identified and the right help is arranged.

• Keep the damper and fireplace doors closed
• Keep children and pets out of the room
• Do not light a fire or use smoke
• Note when you hear the sounds and what they are like

When a young swift falls into the fireplace

A young swift can drop out of the nest and land on the smoke shelf or in the firebox. In that case the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wants homeowners to reach a migratory bird rehabilitator, who knows whether the bird should go back to the nest or into care.

Do not feed a fallen nestling or try to push it back up the flue. Keep pets away, keep the fireplace closed and make the call. We can help you confirm the kind of bird and plan the chimney work that follows the season.

Finding the way in before closing it

An uncapped flue is the obvious entry, but it is not the only one. A torn or rusted screen, a gap between the cap and the crown, a cracked crown or an opening in a chase cover or chase siding can each let animals in.

We check each possibility at the top of the chimney before recommending a fix. Closing one opening while another stays open only moves the problem.

• Missing or loose cap on the flue
• Torn, rusted or bent screen
• Gap between the cap and the crown
• Openings in a chase cover or chase siding

Why poisons and home traps make things worse

Poison or an improvised trap placed in a fireplace or chimney rarely ends the problem. An animal that dies in the flue has to be found and removed, the smell spreads through the house, and a trap in a fireplace can catch a pet or injure a child.

Florida's nuisance wildlife rule also governs how animals may be taken and released. Leave the animal to people who work within that rule, and let our team deal with the chimney once it is clear.