Animal removal and flue clean-out in Coral Springs

Bats in the chimney and Florida's rules

Bats are protected in Florida. The state nuisance wildlife rule allows them to be moved out only with exclusion devices or a registered repellent, and only outside the maternity season. An exclusion device lets bats leave but not return. Harming them or using poisons is not allowed.

That means a bat colony in a chimney cannot simply be cleared on demand. We explain whether exclusion is allowed at the time of your call and who carries it out. We also explain what the chimney will need once the bats have gone. The timing is set by the rule, not by us.

Why bat exclusion follows a calendar

Florida's rule forbids installing bat exclusion devices during the maternity season, when young bats cannot yet fly. Excluding adults then would trap the young inside the chimney, where they would die.

If your call falls in that period, the plan is to wait, keep the damper closed and prepare for exclusion as soon as it is allowed. We tell you plainly if waiting is required. Once the bats are out and the rule allows, the top can be closed for good.

Questions to ask when the animal job is done

Before we leave, these questions help you understand what was done and what to watch for.

You will find the same answers in the written record. Going over them beside the fireplace, with the parts in view, tends to make them stick. If a question comes up later, call and ask.

• Is the flue confirmed empty and clean
• What damage did the animal leave behind
• How was the top closed, and with what
• What signs would mean an animal is back

Looking at the whole chimney after an animal

An animal problem is often the first time anyone has looked closely at a chimney in a long while. Once the flue is empty and clean, it is a good moment to check the rest: the crown, the flashing, the lining and the damper.

The animal visit covers what the animal touched. A wider look is a separate step, and we tell you what it would add before you decide. If the rest of the chimney is sound, the written record says so, which is worth knowing too.