Birdwatching is a popular hobby, but most people only want to watch the birds instead of sharing their home with them. Although most birds want to nest in trees, chimneys make a great substitute. Unfortunately, when birds do nest in your chimney, it creates a fire hazard and other health concerns. When the eggs hatch, the baby birds can cause even more problems and make a bigger nest. Here’s how to know if birds are living in your chimney and how to get rid of birds in your home.

Identify If You Have Birds in Your Chimney

Fortunately, identifying wildlife in your chimney is fairly easy. You may see them around your flashing and eaves in your home. There may be more birds on the roof during the day.

1. Noise – Chirping or Flapping

If you notice chirping or hear flapping inside the chimney, you may have a bird that has built a nest or gotten trapped. In the spring and early summer months, you may hear the chirping of nestlings. Babies cannot fly, but they do make a lot of noise.

2. Odours and Smells

Bird nests can be stinky. The eggs are sometimes coated with a substance that smells like rotten eggs to protect the eggs. The material that a bird uses to make the nest can smell musty and woodsy. Bird poop isn’t pleasant, either. Dead birds decay, which also smells pretty nasty. When you notice bad aromas from your chimney, you may have wildlife living in it.

3. Increased Bird Activity Around Your Home

As mentioned, if a bird makes a nest in your chimney, you’ll probably see more birds around. If you can watch from your yard, look for birds entering openings in the chimney like the flue or from the top. If you see smaller birds learning to fly, the nest is probably close.

Health and Safety Issues of Birds Living in Your Chimney

While birdwatching is a nice way to pass the time and enjoy nature, birds can carry diseases and parasites. These birds can infect your food sources. A bird’s nest in your chimney can create a fire hazard. The material is highly flammable. When you light a fire in the fireplace, the nest can also block the release of smoke, which traps carbon monoxide in your home. The birds are also exposed to toxic fumes, which may kill the babies that cannot fly yet. There are many reasons that you don’t want birds nesting in your chimney.

Prevent Birds From Nesting in Your Chimney

Wondering how to keep birds away? The best method is prevention. An inspection of your chimney annually can make sure that your chimney is bird-free. We recommend doing this in the fall before you start to use your fireplace. When our technicians find places for the birds to enter, we can help you find solutions or barriers to prevent entry. If a bird does get trapped in your chimney, get an expert to deal with its removal.

Why Professional Bird Removal Is The Best Method

Handing birds needs to be done with care. Some species of birds are protected by law or other regulations, making it necessary to handle the removal with extra caution. Trying to remove the birds yourself could result in injuries to you or the bird. You should also ensure that the professional wildlife management team removes the nest and materials, which could also have parasites or bacteria. Leaving that material is a hazard and could increase the chance of another bird making its home in your chimney. Contact Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control for bird removal in York.