Merrimac chimney service from a local family company

Bats in a chimney are a different situation from birds or squirrels, and homeowners in Merrimac, a community near Zellwood in Orange County, should know one rule before anyone acts: Florida's Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission protects bats and restricts when they can be excluded from buildings. During the bat maternity season, when mothers are raising young that cannot yet fly, exclusion is not allowed, because it would trap the young inside.

Signs of bats include squeaking or scratching at dusk and dawn, droppings on the firebox floor or smoke shelf, and bats seen leaving the top of the chimney around sunset. Do not try to catch or handle a bat, and do not seal the chimney top while bats are inside. Keep the damper closed so none of them come down into the room.

If a bat does get into the living space, keep people and pets away and open an outside door to the room. The FWC's guidance describes approved exclusion methods, such as one-way devices that let bats leave but not return, used outside the maternity season. Our technicians identify what is using the chimney and explain the timing.

Where a wildlife specialist is the right choice for the exclusion itself, we tell you, and we handle the chimney side once the bats are out. That chimney side matters. After the bats leave, droppings and debris are cleaned from the smoke shelf, damper and flue, the damper is checked for damage, and a cap with a screen sized to the flue is installed so they cannot return.

Any gaps around the crown or flashing that let them in are sealed too. Our local, family-owned company does the Merrimac inspection for free and writes the cleanup and cap as separate, upfront prices. Nothing is hidden in the price, and work booked within 72 hours after the inspection receives 10% off. Our work comes with a workmanship warranty.