It’s not that common to have animals in your chimney which is why most homeowners are unprepared to deal with it.
You might think that as long as you’re not using the chimney it’s fine, they’ll leave as soon as you light a fire, right? Wrong.
Though the animal will most likely leave, there would be a huge risk of starting a fire in your house or inhaling smoke from the fumes that can’t leave properly. And if you leave the animals unattended, they may still spread diseases or destroy your property.
Take a look at the dangers of having animals in your chimney and hour to handle them.
Risk of A Fire
When an animal gets in your chimney, it’s common for them to leave excrement and/or fur. If in large amounts, this excrement and fur accumulation can cause a fire.
In other cases, it can happen where animals can’t leave the chimney and get stuck there. I recommend you to take a look before lighting the fireplace, so any animal stuck in the chimney won’t suffer from extreme warmth or other fatal perils.
Transmission of Diseases
It’s not fresh news that animals of all types can carry diseases capable of infecting not only other animals but also humans. Rabies, leptospirosis, and hantavirus are just some of the diseases that animals in chimneys can carry and transmit to you, your family, and pets.
If you ever find an animal stuck or living in your chimney, it’s recommended you call a chimney sweeping service to prevent any risk of contamination.
They Can Damage The Chimney
When coming down the chimney, animals can accidentally cause some serious damage to the flue, which can make lighting the fireplace dangerous for your house and family.
Certain animals can scratch and chip the tile of the chimney, due to their claws or talons. Damaging the tile of the chimney liner can expose the surrounding building materials to the heat of the fire, which may require the chimney to be relined.
Access Into Your House
Sometimes while looking for food or warmth, animals like possums, birds, and rodents can accidentally fall down in chimneys and sooner or later enter your home. Inside your house, they can damage wiring, furniture, and contaminate food.
Risk of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Due to the warmth and shelter it provides, chimneys are really attractive for birds to nest in, which can cause problems for you as well as the birds.
Nests in the chimney can block off the airflow, which would eventually cause a buildup of carbon monoxide. This substance in this level can put you, your loved ones, and the birds in serious risk of poisoning.
Some symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are often described as “flu-like. They include headache, dizziness, weakness, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion. In worst cases, it can cause loss of consciousness, arrhythmias, seizures, and even lead to death.
How To Get Rid of Animals In Your Chimney
There are different ways to get rid of pests in the chimney, due to the different types of animals that can get in. So it’s extremely important to identify the animal before doing anything.
- For a stuck animal: it’s recommended you offer them an escape route and then they should naturally get out of the chimney.
- For a non-stuck animal: a common way of taking animals off of your chimney is using traps and baits. If the animal is not trapped, the most likely way of them getting out is being attracted by something out the chimney. The most used bait for these cases is food.
Overall, there isn’t a better way of getting rid of an animal stuck in a chimney than requesting chimney services. There are professionals skilled to do this type of service without hurting the animal or damaging the chimney.
It’s important to know that the cost to remove an animal from a chimney may vary depending on the type of animal.
Prevent Your Chimney From More Invasive Animals
It’s recommended you hire chimney professionals to install a cap, which protects it from invasions but without blocking the smoke and airflow.
A professional inspection can also be helpful since it would identify other defective points of your chimney that could eventually become an entry for other animals.
Protect your house by verifying your chimney frequently. The presence of animals in your chimney can put you and your loved ones in danger as much as you can harm the animals as well.
Contact a local chimney sweeping company and request a free quote to get rid of an animal in the chimney!