Animals in the Fireplace Flue can be dangerous! Raccoons, squirrels, birds, bats, and other animals can get into chimneys if there is no cap to keep them out. These animals can bring fleas and ticks into your home, as well as rabies, worms, and other diseases. So animals in the chimney pose a serious health risk.
If you see or hear animals in the chimney, call your chimney professional and have them removed. Then have a chimney cap with a screen mesh installed on the chimney to prevent future infestation.
It is also a good habit to keep the fireplace damper (or glass doors) closed, to prevent the animals from getting into the house.
Animals in Fireplace Flue:
Safety Alert
Animals bite!
Stay away from a fireplace
that might contain an animal.
Some extra information for you…
As you look at your chimney from your yard or in your living room, basement or attic, you may wonder whether it is really suitable for the task you are giving it. You can probably see portions of the outside of your chimney. What is it like on the inside?
You expect your chimney to provide a smooth path for smoke and gases from your fireplace, stove or furnace to flow to the atmosphere. The chimney must also effectively shield the rest of your home from the heat and flame. Can it do that? How do you find out?
Inspection by a Chimney Professional
Unless you are comfortable with ladders and heights, hiring a professional to check your chimney may be the easiest solution.
Chimneys, fireplaces and vents shall be inspected at least once a year by a qualified agency according to standards of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).
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CHIMNEYS.COM recommends that you use these comments to better inform yourself to discuss your chimney and venting issues with a professional whom you call to your home to evaluate the issue.
1 thought on “Animals in Fireplace Flue”
I am curious and unable to find out how the size of the mesh on a chimney cap affects the smoke draft coming out of a chimney. If you were to use a small mesh with openings of 1/4″, how large should the cap be to ensure that the smoke flows through the smaller mesh?
Currently we have a standard size mesh cap on a double flue chimney on our cabin and it works fine. However, I believe mice can go through the mesh opening and fall down our chimney since the flues are only a few inches above the chimney crown.
We only have about 20 fires per year in the spring and fall and are willing to have our chimney checked each year for creosote buildup. I like the look of one chimney cap covering both flues rather than separate flue covers with a damper.
Do you know how much space might be required for a smaller mesh?