How to Remove Raccoons From a Chimney
It is not uncommon for nuisance wildlife to enter and make a home in your chimney. Raccoons are adept climbers and can cling to drainpipes, shingles, and bricks to quickly access your chimney and fireplace.
Do NOT Start a Fire
A fire is most certainly not the way to remove any nuisance wildlife in your chimney. These animals may be smart, but when scared, raccoons can be dangerous. If you light a fire, these creatures may move down the chimney toward the fireplace to try to escape.
Inspect the Fireplace and Chimney for Raccoons
Use a flashlight to identify signs of raccoons in the chimney. You'll likely find droppings or food remnants if you have raccoons in your chimney. If you are able to safely inspect the outer walls of the chimney and the roof area near the chimney, do so as well. Once you have identified the presence of raccoons, you should be able to to see how they are able to get inside the chimney and live there.
Safety When Inspecting the Chimney
It is important to consider all safety concerns when you are inspecting your chimney. We recommend wearing eye protection and using gloves. If there is a presence of raccoon feces, you should use a mask to make sure that you don't breathe in any contaminants.
Excluding Raccoons from the Chimney
When you have raccoons in your chimney, it's likely due to some damage to the exterior of the chimney, your roof, or the structure it's attached to (your home). You didn't let the raccoons in through the front door. In order to exclude them, you'll need to make repairs to these damaged areas.
Removing Racoons from the Chimney
Unlike attics, garages, and barns, doing a trapping inside of a chimney is extremely complicated. It's much easier to set a trap outside of the chimney, on the roof or on the ground nearby. If there are baby raccoons, they will need to be removed individually by hand or net. Once you finish the removal, you can replace damaged vents, seal up holes and cracks, and replace any damaged masonry.