Animal removal from chimneys, then a cap to keep the flue closed
Animal removal for a chimney means getting a bird, squirrel or raccoon and its nest out of the flue without harming it, cleaning up what it left, and covering the opening so nothing else moves in. Our office at 227 Union Street in New Bedford takes these calls from Fairhaven, Dartmouth, Acushnet and the city, and we work within the rules that protect certain species.
Why South Coast flues attract wildlife
An open flue is a dry, dark hollow above the roofline. A few things about the housing and landscape here make that hollow easy to find and easy to use.
Old stacks with bare tops
More than half of New Bedford’s homes were built in 1939 or earlier, and many of their chimneys still end in bare flue tile with nothing over it. To a squirrel or a raccoon, that is a doorway.
Woods and river edges
Large parts of Acushnet and inland Dartmouth are wooded or farmed. Trees beside a house give squirrels a route onto the roof, and leaves and twigs collect in any flue left open.
Caps worn by salt air
Near the harbor and Buzzards Bay, salt on the wind corrodes metal. A plain steel cap that has rusted through, or a screen that has fallen apart, lets animals back into a flue that was once covered.
Housing ages, heating fuels and storm history come from the sourced notes on our community pages: New Bedford, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, Acushnet.
How an animal call is handled
We begin by finding out what is in the flue and whether it is still there, since the species and the season decide what can be done and when.
Work out what moved in
Sounds, droppings, nest material and a look from the roof and the firebox usually tell us which animal it is and whether young are present.
Check what the rules allow
Chimney swifts are protected under the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act, so an active nest stays until the birds leave. Some mammal cases need a wildlife-control specialist licensed by the state, and we say so plainly.
Get the animal out without harm
Animals are coaxed out or lifted out alive, never sealed inside. Where young raccoons are found, the usual aim is to let the mother move them herself.
Clean out the flue and shelf
Once the passage is empty, nest material, droppings and debris come off the smoke shelf, the damper and the flue walls, and the firebox is vacuumed clean.
Look for damage
Chewed damper parts, displaced tiles or a nest packed into a boiler flue are noted and photographed so you can decide on any repair.
Cover the opening
A cap with a mesh screen, sized to the flue and made of a metal that stands up to salt air, goes on so smoke can leave and animals cannot get in.
Lighting a fire to drive an animal out can trap or kill it and set the nest alight. Please wait for us instead.
The cap is what keeps the problem from coming back. A cleared flue without one is open to whatever animal finds it next.
Hints that something lives in the flue
Most homeowners hear it first, often at dawn or dusk.
- Scratching inside the wallScrabbling or thumps inside the chimney usually mean a squirrel or a raccoon is moving around.
- Chattering near the fireplaceSwift chicks call loudly at feeding time, from early summer onward, and the sound carries into the room.
- Sticks on the damperTwigs, leaves or droppings landing on the damper or grate show that something is building above it.
- A sour smell in the roomNests, droppings or a dead animal give off an odor that spreads from the fireplace, stronger in humid weather.
- Bare tile visible from the streetIf you can see open flue tile at the top of the stack, nothing is stopping animals from getting in.
Is this an animal job or a cap job?
Book this when an animal or an active nest is in the flue or on the smoke shelf. If the visitors have already gone and only debris remains, the work is cleaning and capping.
Ask for animal removal when
- You hear movement or calls inside the chimney
- Nest material keeps landing on the damper
- An odor is coming from the fireplace
- The flue has no cap, or a broken one
Ask about a different page when
- No animals yet, but no cap either: Chimney Cap Installation
- A damper that has been bent or chewed: Damper Repair and Installation
- A rusted metal top on a framed chimney: Chimney Chase Cover Installation
What decides how big the job is
Wildlife calls range from a single nest to a family in residence. These factors set the scope and the timing.
- Which animal it is
- A bird nest on a smoke shelf is a small job. A raccoon with young in a large flue takes more time and sometimes more than one visit.
- The season
- Protected birds mean waiting until they have flown. Spring is when young mammals are most likely to be inside, which changes the approach.
- How much nest material
- A fresh nest comes out quickly. A flue packed with several seasons of sticks and debris takes far longer to clear.
- How many flues need covering
- A single round flue takes a small cap. A wide crown on a three-decker with several flues may call for a larger cap that covers them all.
No price list on this site, on purpose. Two chimneys that sound the same over the phone rarely are. Once someone from the New Bedford office has looked at yours, you get the scope in writing and decide from there.
What people ask about animals in the chimney
We hear birds chirping in the flue. Can they come out today?
If they are chimney swifts with an active nest, no. They are protected under federal law, and the nest has to stay until the young have fledged and the birds have left for the season, usually by early autumn. After that we clean out the flue and cap it so they nest elsewhere next year.
Can I smoke the animal out myself?
Please do not. Smoke can trap an animal in the flue, injure or kill its young, and set dry nest material on fire inside the chimney. It also tends to leave a dead animal and a worse smell. Keep the damper shut and the fireplace unused until the flue is clear.
Do you deal with raccoons?
Raccoons are among the most common chimney visitors. We find out whether young are present and remove the animals without harm, or let the mother move her litter, and then clean and cap the flue. If the situation needs a wildlife-control specialist licensed by the state, we tell you before anything starts.
Will a cap stop it from happening again?
A well-fitted cap with an intact mesh screen keeps out birds, squirrels and raccoons. Near the water the metal matters, since a cap that rusts through leaves the flue open again. We also check that it is secured firmly enough that a determined raccoon cannot pull it off.
Our boiler shares that chimney. Is that a concern?
It can be. A nest jammed into the flue of a boiler or water heater can block its exhaust, including carbon monoxide, which has no smell. If animals have been in that flue, mention it when you call and make sure your CO alarms are working.
Booking, hours and general chimney questions are on the main FAQ; how a visit runs is on what to expect.
Often looked at alongside
- Chimney Cap InstallationMeasuring each flue and fixing a screened stainless or copper hood over it against weather and wildlife.
- Chimney SweepingBrushing soot and loose creosote out of the flue, then explaining what the deposits show about the chimney.
- Damper Repair and InstallationFreeing or replacing rusted throat dampers, or fitting a top-sealing damper up on the flue tile.
- Chimney Chase Cover InstallationSwapping rusted or dished sheet-metal lids on framed chimneys for sloped covers with a drip edge and collar.
Background reading
- 6 minSalt Air, Wind and Coastal Chimneys: What the South Coast Does to Masonry and MetalWind off the water drives rain into masonry and salt into metal. What that means for caps, flashing, crowns and mortar near the coast.
- 7 minThree-Decker and Two-Family Chimneys in New Bedford: What Owners Should KnowSeveral flues in one stack, gas boilers in old coal flues, tall tops in the harbor wind: how to look after a multifamily chimney.
- MapThe four places we coverNew Bedford · Dartmouth · Fairhaven · Acushnet, all from one office downtown.