A downward chimney soot paw print left by a raccoon as it climbed out of this chimney flue.
With spring around the corner Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control knows to expect a lot of calls about raccoons living in the chimney. We get these types of calls throughout the year, but the highest volume comes during raccoon baby season which runs from March through July.
An adult raccoon spotted at the bottom of a chimney.
In wooded areas, raccoon mothers will chose to raise their young inside a tree hollow. More clever urban raccoons have figured out that chimneys do an excellent job of mimicking the protection of trees. Adult female raccoons easily shimmy up and down chimney cavities and nest on top of the fireplace.
Here’s what you need to know
- Raccoon litters consist of between two and six babies and they begin to vocalize at birth. Most homeowners become aware of raccoons in the chimney when they hear the screeching and squealing cries of baby raccoons.
- Raccoon babies are immobile for the first six to eight weeks of their lives. This means the only way to remove them from your chimney is by hand.
- Don’t attempt to light a fire to get raccoons out of the chimney. Not only is it inhumane, but you could end up causing a lot of damage to your home if the raccoons have blocked the smoke’s path.
- Not all chimney caps are created equal. Most chimney caps available at your local hardware store are not strong enough to keep raccoons out. Raccoons simply push past the flimsy screening or push the entire cap right off the roof.
A raccoon ripped this cap right out of the clay flue. You can even set a bit of its fur still stuck to the wire screen.
Our Proven Method
Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control technicians are experts when it comes to humanely removing and excluding raccoons from chimneys. We started by removing the mother from the chimney and then reach into the fireplace and pull out the babies one-by-one. Once we’re certain that the chimney is empty, we will permanently screen the chimney to prevent re-entry and reunite the babies with their mother on the outside.
It might sound easy, but it can be a tough and messy job. If you want to learn more about raccoons click here or call us today 1.888.592.0387.
Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control proudly services Hamilton, Mississauga, Guelph Cambridge, London, Milton, Burlington, Kitchener-Waterloo, Oakville, Niagara, Ottawa, Montreal and Halifax.
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