Our Work
The right steps for a chimney animal problem in Winter Springs
How a one-way exit works before sealing
An exclusion device lets bats leave the chimney but blocks their return. Florida's rule requires it to stay in place for at least four consecutive days and nights with National Weather Service forecast lows above 50 degrees before repairs close the opening. The rule counts qualifying nights, so a cold spell can extend the wait before the chimney is closed.
Only after that period does the chimney get its permanent screened cap. We schedule the capping to follow the exclusion, so the bats are outside when the top is sealed. The order matters as much as the parts.
If anyone may have touched a bat
According to the Florida Department of Health, raccoons and bats are the primary wildlife sources of rabies in Florida, and direct contact with wild animals should be avoided. After possible contact, the department advises consulting a healthcare provider and local animal control.
Please make those calls before anything else, and do not try to catch the bat yourself. The chimney conversation can wait a few hours. When it is time, our specialists handle the chimney work in Winter Springs and keep it separate from the health question. Keep the room closed and the animal undisturbed until animal control advises you.
Why smoke and fire are never the answer
It is tempting to light a small fire and let the heat drive an animal up and out. That can injure or kill the animal, it breaks the protections that apply to swifts and bats, and it can ignite dry twigs and nest material packed into the flue.
Keep the fireplace cold until the chimney has been inspected and cleared. Our specialists confirm when the flue on your Winter Springs home is empty and open, and only then is the fireplace ready to use again. If the damper is stuck open, tell us, and we explain how to keep the room closed off until the visit.
When animals keep coming back
If the same chimney keeps attracting birds or animals, the top is almost certainly open to them. A missing cap, a screen with a torn corner or a cap sized for the wrong flue all leave a way in. A new animal can move in within days of the last one leaving.
Removing the animal again without closing the entry just resets the cycle. In Winter Springs, our specialists find the gap, fix it and fit a screened cap that meets the code, so the next visit is a routine sweep instead of another removal.
