Chimney animal removal and cleanup in Catalina

Why we do not promise a removal date

It would be easy to promise the animal will be gone tomorrow. For protected birds, bats in maternity season or a mother with young, that promise could break the law or leave young animals to die in the flue. We tell you what can happen now, such as sealing the damper, cleaning the firebox and planning the cap, and what has to wait for the animal to leave or for the rules to allow it. If the timing changes, for example because the animals leave sooner than expected, we move the next steps up.

What to tell us when you call

A few details from you help us plan the visit and bring the right equipment to your Catalina home. You do not need to climb anything or look up the flue. If you have seen an animal on the roof or near the chimney top, describe it as well as you can.

• What the sound is like and what time of day you hear it
• Whether anything has fallen into the firebox
• Whether the chimney has a cap you can see from the ground
• Whether the fireplace is wood-burning, factory-built or unused

Never handle wildlife with bare hands

Raccoons and bats are among the animals the Florida Department of Health lists as carriers of rabies in the state, and wild animals bite when handled. Do not reach up the flue, grab an animal on the grate or try to catch a bat by hand. If a bite or scratch happens, wash the wound and contact a doctor or the health department right away. Removal is work for people equipped to do it. Wearing gloves does not make handling a wild animal safe, so leave capture to people trained for it.

How animals get into masonry chimneys

On a masonry chimney, the entry point is usually the top of the flue. An uncapped flue, a cap with a torn or rusted screen, a cap loose on its base or gaps in the crown all let animals in. We inspect each of those points from the roof, and the fix follows what we find, from a new screen to a new cap or crown repair. On an older chimney, gaps where the flue meets the crown can let small animals slip in beside the flue.