Animal removal from chimneys in McDonald
Heard something in the chimney? Tell our McDonald team what you heard and when, and we take it from there.
- Licensed & insured
- Locally run
- Family owned and operated
- Same-day service available
What your McDonald chimney animal estimate covers
- Damper and fireplace doors secured
- Damper operation and seal checked
- Written record of the work
- Timing set around protected species
What goes into chimney animal removal in McDonald
If a bat may have touched someone
The CDC advises contacting a doctor or the local health department after any possible contact with a bat, including waking to find a bat in the room. Do not try to catch or handle it with bare hands. Once that question is settled, we look for the route the bat used, which is often an uncapped flue or a gap at the cap, and plan an exclusion that follows Florida's timing rules. Keep the bat contained in one room if you can, without touching it, in case it needs to be tested.
Enough open area for the flue to work
A screened cap must still let the chimney breathe. The same code section sizes the screen's open area, its net free area, at four times or more that of the flue outlet below it, and it calls for screen material with heat and corrosion resistance equal to set gauges of galvanized or stainless steel. A cap that is too small or too fine chokes the flue. We size each cap to the flue it covers. A screen that meets the area rule still needs cleaning, since soot can close it down over time.
Nest material and creosote together
In a wood-burning chimney, dry nest material sits on or near creosote that has built up on the flue walls. Both are combustible, and together they make the flue a poor place for a fire. That is why the fireplace stays off until both are cleared. A chimney sweep removes the creosote, and our cleanup removes the nest, before any fire is lit again. On a chimney that sees regular fires, the sweep and nest removal are easiest to do on the same visit.
Birds perching or nesting on top of a cap
Birds sometimes perch on a cap or build on its hood without entering the flue. That is usually a lesser concern, though nest material on the hood can blow into the screen and clog it. We look at the hood and screen during the inspection. If nest material is restricting the screen, clearing it is part of the cleanup, while the timing rules for protected birds still apply. A cap hood with a nest on top can also trap heat and debris, so we note it even when the flue is clear.
Other work in McDonald
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What McDonald owners ask about animals in chimneys
What are the rules for bats in a chimney?
Florida restricts bat exclusion during the maternity season, April 16 through August 14, and exclusion devices are used before openings are sealed. We explain the timing that applies when you call.
Do squirrels and raccoons fall under the same rules as bats?
No. Bats have a maternity season when exclusion is not allowed, and chimney swifts are protected while nesting. Other nuisance wildlife falls under Florida's general nuisance wildlife rule, which still limits the methods used and where a live animal may be released.
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Share the job details and arrange a free inspection with our local team.
- Free inspection
- No hidden fees
- Family owned and operated
Need an answer now? Call (352) 675-6376
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