Chimney animal removal for households in Westwood Lakes

A squirrel in the chimney

Squirrels explore chimney tops and can fall into an uncapped flue. Many cannot climb back up a smooth lining, so they end up trapped on the smoke shelf or above the damper, scratching and moving about.

A trapped squirrel needs a way out or a careful capture, depending on the chimney and the rules. A squirrel that is nesting at the top is a different case. We identify which one you have and explain the next step before anything is disturbed.

Smells that point to an animal in the chimney

A musky smell from the fireplace can come from an animal living in the flue. A sharp, ammonia-like smell often comes from droppings and urine. A sweet, rotten smell usually means an animal has died.

Describe the smell and when it is strongest. Keep the damper closed and air the room. Each kind of smell points to a different stage of the problem, and the clean-out that follows is planned around it. Do not mask it with sprays, because the smell is useful evidence.

Questions to ask before animal removal starts

A clear plan answers a few questions before work begins. Ask these if the answers are not already plain.

If an answer is vague, ask again. We would rather take a few extra minutes at the start than leave you unsure about what happens to the animal or the chimney.

• What kind of animal is in the chimney
• What the rules allow at this time
• Which steps our team handles and which others do
• How the flue will be confirmed empty before capping

An animal in the firebox behind the screen

Sometimes an animal drops all the way into the firebox. If a fireplace screen or other barrier closes the opening, it may be all that stands between the animal and the room.

Leave the screen in place and keep people and pets away. Do not open it to look. Tell us what kind of animal it seems to be, and we explain the safest way to get it out of the house. Keep the room closed off in the meantime.