Removal of Chimney Raccoons
For a number of weeks, Frontline Animal Removal has been helping customers out who have raccoons living in the chimney. That’s because here in the urban/suburban Akron, Canton, Kent area a lot of mother raccoons use uncapped chimneys as birthing dens.
When the chimney removal plan works out, the whole problem of raccoons living in the chimney is solved in a short time.
Often, though, the raccoon is not cooperative with “the plan” and the removal takes a little longer.
Still, no matter how long it takes, the goal is to offer a chimney/fireplace free of raccoons both now and in the future.
Read on as we describe both an ideal raccoon chimney removal and present video showing a pretty typical removal of a chimney dwelling raccoon.
Chimneys/Fireplaces Used by Mother Raccoons
Though we have had small groups of mostly mature raccoons in chimneys during the winter, raccoons living in a chimney is typically the result of a mother raccoon giving birth.
The mother climbs into unsealed chimneys and makes a nest at the base of the chimney on the smoke shelf or any other flat part, like a clean-out.
Homeowners are often alerted to the problem by the strange sounds coming from the chimney once the babies are born.
Baby raccoons make a chittering sound, especially when mom is not around.
As they get older, they crawl over and around each other with little growls, scratches, and squeaks.
Needless to say, all of these sounds are disconcerting when coming from your chimney/fireplace and you are trying to sleep. (Remember, raccoons are mostly nocturnal)
The Plan for Raccoon Chimney Removal:
An ideal plan for removal of the raccoon family from the chimney is:
show up during the day when the whole family, mom and kits, are home- place a specialized chimney trap into the top of the chimney
- pester the mother raccoon from below to make her climb up into the chimney trap
- remove the kits from below by hand
- Clean the smoke shelf as necessary
- Place a chimney cap to prevent future problems
show up during the day when the whole family, mom and kits, are homeIf all goes according to plan, the removal of mother raccoon and baby raccoons is accomplished in an hour or two.
But, often times the mother raccoon refuses to exit the chimney and patience is necessary. The same scenario is employed, it just takes a little longer.
Here is a video from last week where Ryan describes a job where the mother raccoon refused to leave the chimney for days. Ryan waited her out and the resulting raccoon-free-chimney was achieved; it just took longer than Ryan and the homeowner hoped for.
Removal of Chimney Dwelling Raccoons | Stark, Portage, Summit Counties
Instant gratification is always the goal for customers with nuisance animal problems. Who doesn’t want their problem solved today?
But, haven’t we always been taught that patience is a virtue?
While we try be virtuous, the reality of nuisance animal trapping is that patience is often dictated to us by the animal’s behavior.
If you think there are raccoons in your chimney and you want the problem solved, contact Frontline Animal Removal today; we have the tools and experience to accomplish the job.
For more on raccoon removal:
