Small animals
Squirrels, mice and other small animals that fall in and get trapped are taken out and the entry point is closed.
Chimney Sweeping
Chimney Animal Removal Natrona Heights, PA
A chimney sweep in Natrona Heights can remove birds, raccoons, squirrels and nests from your chimney and install a cap so they cannot get back in. One call to (724) 604-6450 reaches a chimney sweep near you.
An open chimney looks like a hollow tree to a lot of animals. Raccoons often use the smoke shelf as a nursery, birds nest inside the flue and squirrels fall in and get trapped. The result is a blocked flue, odors, noise and sometimes an animal loose in the living room.
Lighting a fire to drive an animal out is a bad idea. Babies cannot escape, nesting material can ignite and smoke can back up into the room. Close the damper and glass doors if you have them, and keep children and pets away until the animal is out.
The type of animal decides how and when it can be removed. Chimney swifts are protected, which means waiting until they migrate before the nest comes out. A raccoon with kits needs patience, and the approach has to fit the wildlife rules in Pennsylvania. Once the chimney is clear, a cap with a mesh screen keeps them from coming back.
Many chimney animal removal calls in Natrona Heights also turn up a need for chimney cap installation or chimney cleaning.
Looking for Natrona Heights chimney animal removal? Call (724) 604-6450 to reach a nearby chimney sweep.
Call nowThe process
What happens during chimney animal removal
Getting an animal out cleanly takes the right timing and a few steps.
Identify the animal
Sounds, droppings, timing and a look up the flue tell the technician what is living in the chimney since each one is handled differently.
Check the rules
Protected birds like chimney swifts are left until nesting season ends, while many other animals can be removed right away and you hear what to expect.
Remove the animal
Depending on the animal, removal may be by hand, with an exclusion door or by giving a mother the chance to relocate her young with care taken around the damper and smoke shelf.
Clear the nest
Nests, sticks, droppings and debris are removed from the smoke shelf, damper and flue so smoke can draft freely.
Deodorize
Where animals have nested, the area is cleaned to remove odor and parasites since droppings can carry disease.
Seal the top
A chimney cap with a mesh screen goes on the flue so animals cannot return to finish the job.
What is included
Animals removed from chimneys
Bat exclusion
Bats in a chimney are handled with exclusion devices that let them leave but not return since rules often protect them.
Birds
Nests on the smoke shelf, damper or in the flue are cleared and the flue is capped afterward.
Dead animal removal
When an animal dies in the flue, it is taken out and the smoke shelf cleaned before the fireplace is used again.
Raccoon dens
A raccoon living in the chimney is removed along with the droppings they leave.
Related service
Bird Nest Removal Natrona Heights, PA
Birds nest in chimneys because the inside of a flue is dry, sheltered and hard for predators to reach. A nest of dry twigs and grass is both a blockage and a fire hazard. If the flue vents a furnace or water heater, a nest can force carbon monoxide into the house.
Chimney swifts are a protected migratory bird, so their nests can only be removed after nesting season, once the birds have left. A Natrona Heights sweep can tell you when removal is allowed, then clear the nest and cap the chimney. Other species can often be handled sooner, depending on the bird and the rules that apply.
Related service
Raccoon Removal Natrona Heights, PA
In spring, a female raccoon looking for a safe den often climbs into an uncapped chimney to have her young on the smoke shelf. You may hear chattering, crying or thumping above the damper, especially at dusk when the mother comes and goes. Raccoons can carry rabies and their droppings can carry roundworm, so never reach into the flue or try to handle one.
The young are often removed first so the mother can relocate them, and the chimney is checked empty before it is sealed. Since rules on raccoons vary from state to state, the sweep follows the approach allowed in Pennsylvania. Then the area is sanitized and a strong cap is fastened down to keep the next raccoon out.
Local help
Chimney Animal Removal Near Me
Chimneys in Natrona Heights see the most animal activity in spring and early summer, when birds nest and raccoons raise their young. Around Natrona Heights and in nearby towns like Brackenridge, Tarentum, Lower Burrell and Arnold, uncapped chimneys and branches that overhang the roof are the most common way animals get in. A cap with a mesh screen is the simplest fix, and trimming branches back from the roof helps too.
Searching for chimney animal removal near me from Natrona Heights or Brackenridge, Tarentum, Lower Burrell and Arnold? Call (724) 604-6450 to talk to a chimney sweep who works in your part of town.
Chimneys in this climate
Cold winters keep fireplaces, wood stoves and oil burners working for half the year or more. Masonry takes the worst of it from the freeze and thaw cycle: rain and melting snow soak into the crown and joints, then freeze and push them apart, and each winter widens the cracks a little more. Nor'easters drive rain sideways into flashing and mortar that looked fine in summer. Most homeowners in Natrona Heights, PA schedule a sweep in early fall, and a repair check after a hard winter.
Why call
Why act early
Safer fires
Small chimney problems caught early usually stay small repairs.
Familiar with local homes
Chimney sweeps in Natrona Heights know the chimneys and fireplaces common in local homes.
Straight answers
Ask the sweep about the cause, the options and the estimate before work starts.
Chimney Animal Removal FAQ
What should I do about a dead animal smell in the fireplace?
The smell of decay in a chimney nearly always means an animal has died inside. Removing the animal and cleaning the smoke shelf is the only real fix. Keep the damper closed until then to keep the smell out of the room.
What stops birds and raccoons from getting into a chimney?
Capping the flue with a mesh-sided cap stops most animals. A strong, well-fastened cap holds up to raccoons, and the right mesh keeps out birds and squirrels. Keeping branches off the roof removes an easy path to the top.
Can I light a fire to get an animal out of my chimney?
A fire is the worst way to deal with an animal in the flue. Young animals cannot climb out and will be hurt, the nest can ignite, and a blocked flue can send smoke and carbon monoxide into the house. Close the damper and fireplace doors and leave the removal to a sweep.
What should I do about chimney swifts?
Because chimney swifts are protected, removal has to wait until the birds leave for the season. The sweep can tell you when it is allowed, then clean out the nest and add a cap. In the meantime, keep the damper shut to keep noise and birds out of the house.
Why are animals in the chimney a problem?
Wildlife in a chimney brings several risks. Nesting material can ignite or block smoke, and droppings and parasites are a health concern. A blocked flue on a furnace or water heater can also send carbon monoxide into the house, so keep CO alarms working.
More questions? Call (724) 604-6450
Other services that may help
Chimney Cap Installation
Fitting a metal cap over the top of the flue to keep out rain, animals, leaves and stray sparks.
Learn moreChimney Cleaning
Cleaning the flue, smoke chamber and firebox of fireplace and stove chimneys of every kind, to cut the risk of a chimney fire.
Learn moreChimney Odor Removal
Getting rid of the campfire, musty or rotten smell coming from a chimney so the room stops smelling like an old ashtray.
Learn moreChimney Damper Repair
Repairing dampers that will not open, close or seal including handles, chains and seals.
Learn more
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