Raccoons in Your Chimney

I have a raccoon in my chimney! Now what do I do?

I have heard that question many times in my career as a Nuisance Wildlife Removal Expert.

Should I light a fire? For some reason, the first course of action people tend to think of is lighting a fire! This is a bad idea for you and the raccoon. We tend to think of fireplaces and chimneys as straight shots up through the house. In fact, fireplaces are constructed with smoke shelves that deliberately make a turn so it is not a straight shot up. This shelf is the perfect spot for raccoons to nest and raise their babies. If a fire is lit and the smoke rises properly up the chimney, the raccoon may very well sit on that shelf and wait out the fire. Often times they die while sitting on that shelf. Now you have a dead raccoon that will be decomposing in a short time.

The raccoon is stuck in the chimney! This is a common misconception. The raccoon didn?t fall down the chimney. It climbed down ? and it will climb back up! Raccoons are nocturnal and will go out to scavenge for food each evening. Knowing this, it would seem that if you wait until nightfall and put a cap on the chimney, your problem will be solved. I?ll give you two reasons not to cap your chimney while the raccoon is away. First and foremost, the raccoon may very well be a young Mother and now you have 3-7 dying babies in your chimney. When they eventually die, they will decompose and an odor will permeate your house. Secondly, if you exclude the raccoon from its home, it can do GREAT damage to your roof trying to get back in. Most important to that mother raccoon is to reunite with her babies, no matter what it takes to get back into your home.

GET THAT RACCOON OUT!

The best way to get the raccoon out of your chimney is to hire a Nuisance Wildlife Removal expert. They will inspect your home and decide the best way to get the raccoon out. They will determine whether there are babies involved and remove them as well as the mother. They will then advise you of the options for capping the chimney so you will never have this problem again.

Jack Ammerman has been a nuisance wildlife control operator for over ten years. He has been featured in articles in the Flint Journal Newspaper and on television news reports in Genesee County Michigan. He owns and operates Advanced Wildlife Removal in Flint Michigan and is an advisor to http://www.Advanced-Wildlife-Control.com in Genesee County Michigan.