Posted on 04/06/2005 3:27:00 PM PDT by 1FASTGLOCK45
Hey guys, I have an animal ( i assume it's a bird-there's alot of smaller birds around here) that somehow made it's way into the chimney. It's at the bottom clawing away and i can't get anyone one out here to get it out. I haven't heard it make any animal noises so i don't know what it really is. The best advice i've recieved is from a exterminator, saying that if i open the draft-Fluke (it's locked down since we don't use chimney much), I should be able to smoke it out if it's a bird. (they also told me there should be a screen that will prevent the animal from entering the house when i open the draft valve at the bottom). The part of there being a screen is what i'm skeptical about, i'm not sure if i open the valve that the animal won't fall right through? This is a home with the wooden exterior on the chimney and the fake stone front fireplace end of it. The house has been remodeled in the last 10 years so i'm not sure if there would be a screen on the bottom to keep animals from coming into the house once they make it through into the bottom portion of the chimney. Thanks :)
One way to find out... Put a box in the chimney, open the valve, and see if anything falls down.
If so, close the box, take the critter outside, and let it go.
If not, light the box on fire and enjoy the fire.
This doesn't help, but may make you feel better (or worse). We came home from vacation once to the smell of death eminating from the fireplace. My husband removed the flue and out fell a dead duck.
Now, he couldn't remove the flue, so we called the chimney guys to come replace it and clean the chimney. The next day they are there, doing their work, when the head guy comes up to me with a big bucket and says, "Lady, did you know you had a dead hawk in there?"
Have you tried the humane society, or a wildlife rescue group in your area?
Thanks for the box idea, I may be forced to do that. I really didn't want to get my hands into it. I wanted to pay someone else to deal with it LOL.
Just dam ! I've been hoping it would go away on it's own.
LongElegantLegs wrote:
A word of warning; If you attempt to 'smoke it out', it may suffocate and die, and then you'll have a decaying corpse in your chimney, which will be even worse.
Have you tried the humane society, or a wildlife rescue group in your area?
Yes i tried animal control, (they consolidated to become more inefficient and won't do it), exterminator (the best one said smoke it out) and i've tried chimney sweeps (all away from their offices, i left voicemails).
Words of advice, after the fateful "hawk-chases-duck-into-chimney, both die" incident, we put on a chimney cap!
The house has some kind of "cap", we just rent here. I'm concerned about smoking it out as well, but either way i fear i'm going to have a dead animal in the chimney.
Smoked duck is pretty tasty.
Yup, I agree, but my feeling is that nature and i are in harmony when the animal is at the business end of the gun, fork and knife :)
If you have a bird stuck in the chimney, place a lighted flashlight in the fireplace pointing up into the chimney. Birds will often fly toward the light, and you can quickly and gently catch the bird before it flies to other areas of the house. If you are certain that the bird is a songbird or other small bird, you can reach up into the flue and try to catch it. It can be helpful to attach a small mirror to a long-handled spoon to give you a view of what’s going on. There are companies that will come and remove animals from your chimney. After the bird is safely out of the chimney, be sure to place wire mesh or an open grate over the chimney to prevent a future occurrence.
Thank you very much :)
I'm going to get going to work, I found a place
that has experience with this and they will be coming out tomorow afternoon to look at the situation. :)
Have a great day :) Thanks and i'll update later.
I'm emotionally invested now. : )
It's probably a baby raccoon..let us know..
"we just rent here."
It's not your own house? CALL THE LANDLORD!
jocon307 wrote:
It's not your own house? CALL THE LANDLORD!
-->Oh yea, I will call them with the Bill! hehehe. I really want the animal out while it's alive, it would take 2-3 times longer if i wait for them to do it. I will let you all know tomorrow how it went ! I'm curious to know what it is too.
Hi there!
Chimney guy came out and did his stuff. Turned out to be a bird (it was basically dead by the time he pulled it out.) We tried to give it water but it was too late.
We have blocked off the chimney top for now until a new "top" arrives for it complete with screen so we don't have a repeat.
Thanks for all your advice and concerns.
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