Once in a while, you may be faced with the problem of birds getting into your chimney. Here is what to do.
These chimney sweeper birds may even penetrate as far as your fireplace. There’s an issue with such a situation because chimneys are designed to direct smoke away from the fireplace or stove.
How To Get Rid Of Chimney Bird & Nests
Also, sufficient air needs to be drawn by the chimney to help with the clean combustion of the stove. Birds may end up getting stuck and die.
As such, there’s a possibility of finding dead birds within a chimney apart from those nesting there.
Identifying Bird Stuck In Chimneys
Before any action is taken, there’s a need to first identify the presence of birds. The ways to do this include listening for any noise. Birds won’t be silent when they get into your chimney.
Can you hear a bird in your chimney? Pay attention to chirping, scratches, flapping, and rustling noises.
Actual sightings can also help identify bird presence in fireplaces. The most disturbing involves foul odors from decomposing bird carcass in chimneys.
What’s the Attraction Of Birds To Chimneys?
Sometimes you may begin to wonder why birds find your chimney suitable for building their nests. This is even more puzzling when there are trees all around.
However, you’d better understand this if you consider the fact the nature of chimneys and fireplaces.
Apart from channeling smoke out of a home, chimneys are also warm due to combustion or heating coming from smoke. Birds find this irresistible when the weather is cold.
As such, your chimney becomes a refuge where these creatures settle in and build their nests.
-
Problem Caused
Once a bird finds access to your chimney, it may become stuck or helpless and unable to find its way out. This is mostly the case with curious birds. While some may find their way out, others aren’t so lucky.
As it comes down the chimney, soot from the chimney sides is spread over your living room.
Most times, birds die in chimneys and begin to decompose before they’re discovered. Such decomposition is announced by an unpleasant smell hanging around your home.
Chimney swifts are the most notorious when it comes to birds harboring and nesting in chimneys.
These swift migratory birds have big appetites and find chimneys attractive. With a significant reduction in forests due to emerging or expanding cities, chimneys have become their alternative nesting sites.
In recent years, these bird species have declined in population. As part of legislation to protect their dwindling numbers, laws have been formulated to outlaw their removal and elimination.
So, if you have a bird problem and they happen to be chimney swifts, you’ll have to wait out their presence.
-
Health Risks
Asides from problems posed by birds such as those mentioned above, there are also health risks associated with bird presence. It’s important to know that when openings to your chimney exist, other pests like bats, rodents, and raccoons will seize such an opportunity to nest.
Access into your home is also possible.
The presence of vectors is never in doubt as these accompany such pests into your home. Common vectors include lice, ticks, and fleas.
This only serves to compound your pest problems and exposes you to the risk of contracting a disease.
All such problems can be avoided by making preventive preparations for excluding these from chimneys and fireplaces. By installing and maintaining chimney screens, birds are unable to get into your chimney.
So, how do you handle an existing situation? This will take us to the next point.
Does Everyone Want to Get Rid of Birds In Fireplace & Chimneys?
This may sound surprising to some readers, but not every homeowner will want to keep birds out of their chimneys. This is most common for periods within March to October when chimneys are mostly dormant.
If you consider yourself a bird lover and fall within this category of persons, you can simply keep your chimney top open while closing your damper from within.
This helps create a safe space for birds to thrive within the said period.
So how do you get rid of birds nesting in chimneys?
How To Keep Birds Out Of Chimney
Asides from chimney swifts, other bird species can be removed whenever they use your chimney as a nesting site. Such removal must be complete and include their nests.
This prevents the possibility of chimney obstructions and fires.
-
Have a Fireplace Door Installed
Whatever gets into your chimney structure can easily find its way into your home. These range from birds, bats, raccoons, and more. Preventive measures need to be put in place.
One of the ways to have such in place includes installing a door for your fireplace.
This serves multiple functions. First, it prevents the entry of birds and other pests into your home while also preventing kids from getting too close to the fire.
-
Close Chimney Flue After each Use
Chimney flue helps expel smoke and gases from a chimney.
However after combustion is completed, it’s important to have them closed. Doing so won’t only help keep birds from coming in but also conserve heat.
This is one common method of chimney protection from birds.
-
Cracks Should Be Closed Too
Apart from the possibility of birds getting into your chimney, cracks provide ready access points to pests like rodents and beetles. You’ll have to call a chimney sweep to fix all cracks on such structure.
This helps with energy conservation while keeping your home safe from all sorts of pests.
-
It’s Better to Prevent the Problem than Having To Deal with it
Two scenarios usually play out; the first has to do with a house with an exposed chimney yet having no bird presence within the chimney structure.
On the other hand, is a house with an active bird presence within the chimney and fireplace area.
How To Keep Birds Away From Chimney
If the first scenario fits your situation, it’s necessary to act fast by taking preventive measures to keep out birds.
Installing a chimney cap and screen would serve this purpose as it excludes birds and other creatures from gaining entrance.
Bird Removal From Chimney
Having an existing bird problem within your chimney requires removing such birds.
However, you’ll have to determine the bird type to ensure you don’t break protective laws such as those made for chimney swift protection.
Looking for who to call if a bird stuck in your chimney? It’s often better to call on chimney experts.
Removing birds and their nests from chimneys and fireplaces follows the above process.
As discussed, it’s better to adopt preventive treatment than having to remove birds occupying a chimney.
