Local chimney animal removal for Countryside homes

Stinging insects at the chimney top

Wasps and bees sometimes nest in a cap, a crown crack or a chase top. Those need a pest control professional before anyone works on the chimney, since disturbing a nest at roof height is dangerous. Once the insects are gone, we inspect the top, repair the crack or opening they used and check the cap screen for damage. A crack large enough for wasps can also let water into the chimney, so it is worth closing. Our crew does not remove active stinging insect nests, since that needs the right protective equipment.

What changes the price of the job

Every chimney animal job is priced from what we find, never from a flat rate. The factors are listed below, and each one appears as its own line on the written estimate. A written price for each factor also lets you phase the work, such as cleanup now and a new cap later.

• Roof height and access to the chimney top
• How much nest material and debris has to come out
• The cap or screen the chimney needs
• Whether a wildlife specialist is involved
• Any damper, crown or chase repair found along the way

Reading the nest material

Different animals leave different signs. Small twigs glued into a shelf on the flue wall point to swifts. Loose leaves, grass and debris piled on the smoke shelf suggest squirrels or other birds. Large piles of debris with droppings on the smoke shelf can mean a raccoon den. We read what we find before deciding on the next step, since the rules differ by animal. Those signs are written into the findings, so you know what we based the plan on.

How animals get into factory-built chimneys

Factory-built chimneys have a metal pipe with a listed cap on top, running inside a framed chase. Animals get in through a damaged cap into the pipe, or through gaps at the chase cover into the chase itself. Each route needs a different fix. We identify which one the animal used and quote the listed cap, the chase cover work or both. Closing only one of the two routes leaves the other open for the next animal. The cap for the pipe must be the listed one, while the chase cover is made to the chase's own measurements.