Our Process

Chimney animal work on Sanlando Springs homes

Capping a chimney that swifts have used

The Fish and Wildlife Service asks homeowners who want to support swifts to leave an unlined masonry chimney uncapped. The same guidance says a chimney that already has a metal lining should be capped, because metal is far too slippery for swifts to cling to and animals can be trapped inside.

We explain both paths for your Sanlando Springs home and respect your choice. If you choose a cap, it goes on after the birds leave for the season, and our specialists size it for the flue so the chimney keeps drawing properly.

Why a captured animal cannot simply be driven away

Florida restricts where live-captured nuisance wildlife may be released. The rule allows release on the landowner's own contiguous property, or within the same county on a property of at least 40 contiguous acres with the written permission of that property's owner. Carrying an animal to a park or a vacant lot does not meet those conditions.

Those limits are one reason animal capture is left to a wildlife professional who works within them. For your Sanlando Springs home, we explain the options before any trap is discussed, and the chimney cleanup and capping are planned to follow whichever lawful route is chosen.

Rules for traps near the chimney

When a live trap is used for nuisance wildlife in Florida, the rule requires it to be checked at intervals of no more than 24 hours. Steel traps are prohibited under the same rule, along with several other methods.

Please do not set traps on the roof or around the chimney yourself. A trap in the wrong place can catch the wrong animal, and a trap left unchecked breaks the rule. Our team coordinates with the professional handling capture so the chimney work on your Sanlando Springs home starts as soon as the animal is out.

A cap that still allows cleaning

The same code section requires the spark arrestor to be placed with access for cleaning, and the screen or chimney cap to be removable so the flue can be cleaned. A screen fixed permanently over the flue with no way off is a problem at the next sweep.

The caps we fit in Sanlando Springs come off for cleaning without cutting or damage. When we hand over the job, we show you how the cap is attached, so any future sweep or inspection starts without a struggle at the top.