Have a cap?
You’re not off the hook!
Did you know that animals like squirrels, birds, bats and raccoons will make your chimney their home? Flues that are not in use make great places to call home because it offers some relief from weather and added protection from predators.
Raccoons will keep their babies in chimneys until they’re ready for the outside. Baby raccoons “chirp” almost like baby birds when hungry. The mother will go in and out and bring food back for her little ones.
Squirrels tend to make their stay a little more permanent (providing you let them), and will build shelter. One stop last week revealed a squirrels nest that had been packed all the way from the smoke chamber through the cap! That’s 20 feet of nest!! This picture shows the cap once it was removed. Even though this chimney had a cap, the screen had pulled away from the lid providing just enough room for access in and out.
We do a lot of animal removals this time of year. Even if you don’t think there are animals currently nesting, call us for an inspection. A visual inspection is a great proactive measure you can do that will pick up potential entry points in your cap like this one.