Dear Customers:

Midtown Chimney Sweeps no long removes live animals from chimneys. There are several factors:

  • Our insurance prevents us from handling live animals.
  • There are many excellent local Animal Removal experts in nearly every community. We recommend that you call them.
  • Animal removal represents only a small portion (and unpleasant portion) of our overall revenue.
  • You can remove animals from your chimney by yourself. Here’s what you need to know about animal removal and how you can prevent squirrels, raccoons, birds, and even coyotes from invading your chimney.

How animals enter your chimney… and how you may get them out

A common reason for why animals get into your chimney – and sometimes your living room – is that you lack a chimney cap. And, even if your chimney has a cap, if will fail to deter animals if damaged or improperly installed. In order to make sure that those charming, but oh-so-pesky, critters don’t reside in your chimney, you must have a properly-fitted chimney cap. Midtown Chimney Sweeps performs this service (selling and installing chimney caps) in addition to sweeping your chimney after the animal has been removed. You should also be sure to have animals’ nesting debris and biological waste removed; otherwise, such things can be a fire or health hazard to you and your family.

Removing dead animals is usually a straight forward process.  For live animals, (depending on the the type of animal and the situation) you may use a potent, non-toxic humane solution to ward off the animal when they  won’t budge on their own. The traditional go-to solution here is Apple Cider Vinegar. You may employ another method to get smaller animals, like chipmunks,  to leave on their own if they are unable to climb the walls of the chimney by themselves- leave a rope dangling down the inside of the chimney so they can climb out. A larger diameter rope will ease their climb.

Midtown Chimney Sweeps does not currently offer animal removal as a  service.

Chimney Inspected for Animals

At Midtown Chimney Sweeps we wish to help your home be safe from invaders and pests. Keep a chimney cap with an appropriately sized spark arrestor installed on it. The size of the spark arrestor openings depends on the state you are in and the fire risk zone within that state. All mammals will be prevented from entering your chimney if you use any appropriately sized spark arrestor. However, wasps and bees may still enter through a standard spark arrestor. Therefore Midtown Chimney Sweeps provides top seal dampers for protecting your chimney from small insect invaders. Ask a representative today!

After Removing a live Animal from the Chimney

The most common animals removed from chimneys are squirrels and raccoons, both of which like heights and climbing. After you remove the animal from your chimney, a  Midtown Chimney Sweeps Qualified Chimney Professional will recommend an appropriately sized chimney cap to prevent the scenario from recurring. Please ask your local technician about pricing for chimney caps installed, and also about the top seal damper option!

Midtown Chimney Sweeps Technicians do not remove live animals with traps or gloves, etc for safety reasons. If you have an emergency need to remove a live animal from your chimney, please contact a live animal removal specialist, or visit here for more information.