Animal Removal

Nuisance wild animal services.

Animals In Chimney

Bats, Birds, Chimney Swifts, Snakes, Raccoons, Opossums, and Squirrels, .

While it is a common misconception that animals accidentally fall down chimneys, that is usually just not the case. Animals entering a chimney usually have their reasons.

4 of the most common reasons:
  • Mother raccoons will use a masonry chimney to make her nest and harbor her young until they are old enough to go out on their own and start their own family.
    A male raccoon  enters a chimney to kill the baby raccoons because he looks upon them as future competitors. The burnt smell of a chimney often reminds a raccoon of a burned out hollow tree which would be considered a part of their natural habitat. For most animals it is difficult to climb back out of a chimney once they have gotten in there. The raccoon is one of the only ones that can easily climb back out.
  • Chimney swifts often use chimneys to build nests for their young. Much like the raccoon, chimney swifts are accustomed to using hollow trees for their homes, which makes living in a chimney very natural for them. Chimney swifts are one of the only birds that can fly straight up, so chimney swifts are the only birds with the ability to fly out of a chimney. Chimney swifts are also a federally protected migratory bird and should only be handled by professionals who know the laws involved and the special considerations that need to be taken.
  • Scared wild animals such as squirrels, and opossums will in lots of instances scurry down a chimney when a bad storm is coming. The problem with this is that once the storm has passed the critters find themselves stuck.
  • Snakes enter the chimney with one thing in mind and one thing only. They are predators, and they enter with an appetite, an appetite for eggs, baby birds, and baby animals.
From this situation only one of three things can happen:
  • The animal could be rescued (preferably by a professional).
  • The damper is open and the critter finds its way into the fireplace, and if the homeowner doesn’t have glass doors, well now you have a guest in your home. Hence, the term nuisance wild animal.
  • Or, left to its own unrescued, it will slowly and painfully die. This should never be an option because it is not only inhumane, but now you have a larger problem. A dead animal in your home poses all kinds of problems from long lasting terrible odors to potential health issues, to a more difficult and more expensive problem to solve.

Be safe when choosing a professional to do your animal removal. Some things to consider; will the extraction be humane, will the company know how to address any particular health issues, such as mites, lice, or insects left behind. Bat droppings, known as guano, harbor a fungus that can release spores into the air spreading respiratory diseases such as histoplasmosis and cryptococcosis. These diseases can be fatal, especially with the elderly, the young, or anyone with a weak immune system.

  • Will the company be able to inspect the affected areas for structural integrity?
  • Will the company have the product knowledge and experience to professionally fix and restore your chimney and fireplace to a safe working condition?

When it comes to your fireplace and chimney, ARC Chimney Sweeps of Panama City, FL is the company to call for humane animal removal, proper clean up, thorough inspections, and the ability and experience to solve and repair any situation so your fireplace and chimney system is yours again.