How to get squirrels out of your chimney?
When facing this problem, keep in mind that these little rodents are even more scared of you than you are of them. Squirrels like to hide and live in the chimney holes. Usually, they climb back to the rooftops if chimneys are made of stones or bricks. Brick and stone chimneys consist of hooks, which can help them climb. Though they run as fast as 20mph, they can get stuck in the metal tube chimneys.
In this article, we are going to discuss different DIY ways of getting squirrels out of your chimneys.
Help the squirrel escape
As mentioned above, squirrels can get stuck in the chimneys due to various reasons and they can’t escape. Make sure to provide them with an escape route by tying a string with food, feeding it down the chimney, and slowly pull it up to lure the squirrel and wait for it to climb up. Also, consider opening the damper for them to escape through the fireplace. When you are careful with them, the squirrel will not be scared and is likely to leave without a fuss.
Cover your Chimney
If the squirrel is not trapped and just living there, you can plan to capture it. An easy trick you can try is, first, place some food on top of the chimney and catch the squirrel with a trap when it reaches the food. Once you catch it, you can cover your chimney top with any iron-made rods or frame, so that it cannot re-enter.
Never light fire in the fireplace
People have tried lighting a fire in their fireplaces to scare the animals so that the squirrels can run away, but what happens is that the animal gets frightened and sticks to the place it’s at. Sometimes there are small holes in the chimney where the squirrel will hide out of smoke and fear. Ultimately, you can burn or harm this cute furry animal.
Call the Professionals
If the previously mentioned tips don’t seem feasible for you then call the wildlife professionals instead. They are experts and once they take out the squirrel from your chimney, they make sure that it is safe to light a fire in your fireplace.
Make loud noises
Another way of forcing them to leave the chimneys is by creating loud disturbing noises. These noises will make them run away from the chimneys.
Cause some disturbance
Sometimes some movement or distraction can cause animals to run away. Similarly, you can also cause some disturbance in the chimney like inserting a broom or stick in the chimney, so they will sense the disturbance and will run away by climbing up to the rooftop.
In the end, you should always keep a chimney cover or barrier for your chimney tops, so that no such animals can enter the chimneys. Just make sure not to hurt the animal in any way.