Squirrels and Racoons are Chimney Hazards!

 

Squirrels and racoons use chimneys to build nests for their young. Mama racoons are especially aggressive if their young are approached and may bite. Unfortunately, racoons carry rabies and if bitten a person would need to have rabies treatment. Both squirrels and racoons carry diseases as well.

Squirrels have been known to build extremely large nests inside chimneys, causing a blockage and also a fire hazard. In one case, we encountered a 20'-foot tall, hard packed squirrel nest from a 30' tall chimney which took all day to remove. Besides being a fire hazard, nests block the flow of flue gasses which need to exit through the chimney.

It is best to avoid intrusion by these animals with the use of a heavy-duty stainless-steel chimney cover from a professional chimney sweep, which is much more difficult to destroy than a standard chimney cover that is available at hardware stores or box stores. The standard black steel covers also rust, causing unsightly stains on masonry that can't be removed.

However, if a racoon or squirrel family has set up home in your chimney, call a professional animal removal expert to have them removed prior to installing a cover.

________________________________________________

Marge Padgitt is the author of Wood-Fired Heating and Cooking and the host of The Hearth and Home Show on the HearthMasters YouTube Channel. Reach her at www.chimkc.com.

Chimney Swifts are Coming!

 

Chimney Swifts, those agile aviators of the sky, have intriguing nesting habits. The love to build flammable nests inside chimneys, along with other bird species.

• Chimney Swifts overwinter in the Amazon Basin in South America and return to nest across the eastern half of the USA each spring, and that includes the Midwest.
• These birds prefer dark and sheltered sites with vertical walls. While chimneys are their favored nesting spots, they also nest in: Natural sites: Hollow trees and tree cavities.
• Nest sites: Chimneys, wells, abandoned buildings, barns, silos, and outbuildings.
• Nesting Period: Chimney Swifts begin nesting in the spring or summer.
• The entire nesting process typically takes about two and a half months.
• These skilled architects weave their nests from small twigs, securing them to vertical surfaces using their glue-like saliva.
• Incubation lasts from 16 to 21 days, and the young fledge between 14 and 19 days after hatching.
• Overall, the nesting time frame for chimney swifts spans 30 to 40 days.
• Chimney Swifts have been nesting in chimneys for centuries, benefiting from the increased abundance of nest sites due to human development.
• Concerned birdwatchers can contribute by erecting Chimney Swift nest towers to provide additional nesting sites OUTSIDE their chimney.
• Chimney swifts are protected by the Migratory Bird Act so removal from a chimney is not an option. Only the nests can be removed after the fledglings have left the nest.

Keep birds out of chimney flues by having heavy duty stainless steel chimney covers installed.

___________________________________

Marge Padgitt is the author of Wood-Fired Heating and Cooking and host of The Hearth and Home Show on the HearthMasters YouTube Channel. She can be reached at www.chimkc.com.