Our Work

The right steps for a chimney animal problem in Fern Park

Identify the animal before anyone acts

The sounds from a chimney give useful clues. Fluttering and chirping suggest birds, soft scratching at dusk can mean bats, and heavier movement points to a larger animal. The time of day, the season and whether anything has fallen into the firebox all help narrow it down.

Write down what you hear and when, then call (645) 465-4122 from Fern Park. Our specialists use those notes at the free inspection to identify what is inside before any plan is made, because a protected bird, a bat and a squirrel each lead to different rules and a different order of work.

When young swifts fall into the fireplace

Nestlings sometimes drop from a swift nest onto the smoke shelf or into the firebox. In that case the Fish and Wildlife Service points homeowners to a migratory bird rehabilitator, who can say whether the young birds should go back to the chimney or need care. Do not try to feed them or return them to the flue yourself.

Keep the damper closed, leave the young birds where they are and keep pets away while you make that call. Our team can explain the chimney side, such as whether the damper is sealing properly, and schedule the rest of the work for after the nesting season.

When an animal has died in the chimney

A strong odor from the fireplace that builds over a few days often means an animal has died on the smoke shelf or somewhere in the flue. The smell will not clear while the remains are there, and sprays only delay the cleanup.

We remove what can be reached from below or above, clean the affected area and tell you if the remains sit somewhere that needs more work, such as behind a damper that must come out. The way the animal got in is then closed, so the same problem does not return.

Activity around the chimney at dusk

Both chimney swifts and bats can be seen around a chimney toward evening. From the yard the two can be hard to tell apart, yet the rules that apply to each are different. A careful description of what you saw is often the first real clue.

If you see animals entering or leaving your chimney at dusk, note the time and how many you count, and describe it when you book. That record helps our team identify the species at the free inspection and choose the lawful timing for the work in Fern Park.