Dead animal removal
When an animal dies in the flue, it is taken out and the smoke shelf cleaned to clear the smell.
Chimney Sweeping
Chimney Animal Removal Avonmore, PA
A chimney sweep in Avonmore can remove birds, raccoons, squirrels and nests from your chimney safely and with the right timing for the animal, then cap the top. Dial (724) 817-2006 to be connected with a nearby chimney sweep.
Without a cap, a chimney is an open invitation to wildlife. Raccoons often use the smoke shelf as a nursery, birds nest inside the flue and squirrels fall in and get trapped. Each one brings nesting material that blocks the flue, droppings that smell and the risk of the animal getting into the house.
Do not try to smoke an animal out by lighting a fire. Young animals that cannot climb will be hurt, the nest can catch fire, and a blocked flue can push smoke and carbon monoxide into the house. Keep the damper and any fireplace doors closed so the animal stays in the chimney, and keep pets away from the fireplace.
Removal depends on what is in the chimney. Chimney swifts are protected under federal law as migratory birds, so an active nest stays until the birds leave for the season. Rules on trapping and relocating wildlife vary by state, so the method follows what is allowed in Pennsylvania. Once the chimney is clear, a cap with a mesh screen keeps them from coming back.
Depending on what the sweep finds, chimney animal removal in Avonmore, PA can go hand in hand with chimney cap installation and chimney cleaning.
Looking for Avonmore chimney animal removal? Call (724) 817-2006 and describe the problem to a chimney sweep who works in Avonmore.
Call nowThe process
How chimney animal removal works
Safe removal depends on knowing what is in the chimney and planning around it.
Start with the clues
A camera or light and the signs you describe show whether it is birds, a raccoon or something else which decides what happens next.
Check the rules
The method and timing are chosen to follow wildlife rules and protect any young before any work begins.
Humane removal
The animal is removed using the method suited to it without harming them.
Remove debris
Nesting material is pulled out, since it can block the flue and catch fire so smoke can draft freely.
Deodorize
The smoke shelf and firebox are cleaned and treated for odor before the fireplace is used again.
Cap the chimney
A cap that covers the flue and blocks wildlife is fitted so the problem does not repeat next season.
What is included
Animals removed from chimneys
Raccoon dens
A raccoon living in the chimney is removed along with the droppings they leave.
Small animals
Trapped squirrels and other small animals are removed since they cannot climb back out.
Bats
Bats are excluded rather than trapped and the top is sealed after they are gone.
Birds
Nests on the smoke shelf, damper or in the flue are cleared with chimney swifts left until they migrate.
Related service
Bird Nest Removal Avonmore, PA
Birds nest in chimneys because the inside of a flue is dry, sheltered and hard for predators to reach. Their nests sit on the smoke shelf, the damper or the flue walls, and the dry twigs and grass can block the draft and catch fire with the first fire of the season. Nests in flues that serve gas or oil appliances are a carbon monoxide risk too, since they can push exhaust back 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. The sweep will advise on when removal can happen, and then the nest is cleared and a cap goes on. Other birds may be handled on a different schedule depending on the species, so ask the sweep.
Related service
Raccoon Removal Avonmore, PA
Raccoons are strong climbers, and a mother raccoon will often choose a chimney smoke shelf as a den to raise her kits in spring. The signs are chattering and whimpering from the young and the mother leaving at dusk and returning before dawn. Raccoons can carry rabies and their droppings can carry roundworm, so never reach into the flue or try to handle one.
Removal often means taking out the kits so the mother can carry them off, or using a one-way exit once the den is empty. Trapping and relocation rules differ by state, so the method follows what is allowed in Pennsylvania. With the den cleared, the smoke shelf is sanitized and a heavy-duty cap goes on, because raccoons can pull off weak ones.
Local help
Chimney Animal Removal Near Me
Chimneys in Avonmore see the most animal activity in spring and early summer, when birds nest and raccoons raise their young. Around Avonmore and in nearby towns like Vandergrift, Delmont, Hyde Park and Murrysville, 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.
For chimney animal removal in Avonmore, PA or nearby towns like Vandergrift, Delmont, Hyde Park and Murrysville, call (724) 817-2006 to reach a chimney sweep who covers your street.
Chimneys in this climate
Winters here are long and cold, and the heating season usually runs from October well into April. The hardest thing on brick here is not the cold itself but the constant swing above and below freezing: rain and melting snow soak into the crown and joints, then freeze and push them apart, which is how cracks, loose bricks and leaks start. Nor'easters drive rain sideways into flashing and mortar that looked fine in summer. Most homeowners in Avonmore, PA schedule a sweep in early fall, and a repair check after a hard winter.
Why call
Why act early
Less damage
Small chimney problems caught early usually stay small repairs.
Local knowledge
Chimney sweeps in Avonmore know the chimneys and fireplaces common in local homes.
Straight answers
Ask your questions before you agree to anything.
Chimney Animal Removal questions
What should I do about chimney swifts?
Chimney swifts are protected under federal law, and their nests cannot be removed while they are in use. Once they migrate, a sweep can clear the nest and cap the chimney so they do not return. In the meantime, keep the damper shut to keep noise and birds out of the house.
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. The animal has to be removed, along with any nest and droppings, and the area cleaned and deodorized. Close the damper until it is removed.
Are animals in the chimney dangerous?
Animals in a chimney cause problems beyond the noise. Blocked flues, fire risk from nests, disease from droppings and animals getting into the house are the main concerns. Blocked gas appliance flues can spill carbon monoxide, so get to fresh air if a CO alarm sounds.
Will smoke drive an animal out of the chimney?
A fire is the worst way to deal with an animal in the flue. Babies cannot escape, nesting material can catch fire and a blocked flue can fill the room with smoke. Close the damper, keep pets away and have the animal removed safely.
How do I keep animals out of my 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. Cutting back branches that reach the roof makes the chimney harder to reach.
More questions? Call (724) 817-2006
Related services
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
Sweeping soot and creosote out of fireplace and stove chimneys of every kind, to cut the risk of a chimney fire.
Learn moreChimney Odor Removal
Tracking down the creosote, moisture or animal behind a smelly fireplace 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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Call (724) 817-2006 to talk to a chimney sweep serving Avonmore, PA.
(724) 817-2006
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