If you thought the only things that make scary noises in the night were ghosts and goblins, think again. Sometimes, it’s the unexpected guests in your chimney that can send shivers down your spine.
Bats, while fascinating creatures, make for terrible roommates. So, why on earth would bats even choose this eerie abode? And, more importantly, what do you do if they decide to make your chimney their new haunt?
How to Evict Bats From Your Chimney or Home
In Texas, as in many other places, bats are a protected species. According to the Texas parks and wildlife code, it is illegal to kill any species of bat without a permit unless it is an imminent threat to human health and safety.
In fact, the City of Houston strongly discourages do-it-yourself techniques to bat removal because of the dangers to both the bats and the humans handling them. Here are some things you can do to kick these squatters to the curb without hurting anything more than their pride.
Identify the Species: Before taking any action, determine the species of bats residing in your chimney. The laws of what can and can’t be done to a bat can be different depending on the species of bat. Knowing what kind of bat is living in your chimney is a good start to getting them out of your home.- Timing is Everything: Bats have their young in the spring and early summer. During this time, they are especially vulnerable. It’s best to avoid any eviction efforts during these months to prevent harm to the bats or their pups.
- Call a Professional: For the safety of everyone involved, hiring a professional in bat removal will ensure that the bats are removed without harm. This process will involve scheduling a proper time when all of the bats, including the pups, will naturally leave the roost to feed. While they are eating, various tools and components are put in place to discourage and prevent them from coming back to your chimney.
…and After the Bats Have Left?
Once the bats are gone there are some important things that you need to do to make sure they don’t come back and to make sure you can continue to use your chimney safely. Here are some steps:
✔️ Clean Up Responsibly
Just because the bats have left doesn’t mean that they didn’t leave things behind. Especially their guano. Guano is bat feces and it can be laced with disease. It is crucial that your chimney is cleaned thoroughly even if you don’t plan on using your chimney for a while.
✔️ Prevent Reentry
Just because they have left for now doesn’t mean that they won’t come back. Another bat colony will probably find your chimney just as appealing as the first colony did. Fortunately, there are things that can be done to prevent this:
- Schedule an inspection. At Lords Chimney, our techs are trained in finding weak spots in your chimney defense system and getting them taken care of. Bats can squeeze through the tiniest places and these bat accessible spots are easy to miss. Our pros have experience locating these seemingly invisible nooks and crannies.
- Seal off entry points. In addition to spotting the problem spots, we are also equipped to get them sealed off, keeping them out forever. Of course, you don’t want to seal off your chimney entirely. You still need the flue to direct smoke and burning by products to safely escape.
- Install a chimney cap. One of the most important parts of your chimney is the chimney cap. This part of your chimney sits above the flue, letting out the things that need to escape, while preventing things from getting in that shouldn’t. A well-fitted, well-designed, and properly installed chimney cap will not only prevent bats from making a home in your chimney, it will also keep other critters from building nests and homes in your chimney, as well.
Why Bats Love Chimneys
Bats love to roost in caves and trees. That is because they are dark, sheltered from the elements, and protected from predators. In fact, you can find bats in lots of human-made structures that provide these environments, such as home attics, under bridges, in tall building crevices, and, of course, we can’t forget the bats in the belfry at your local church. Your chimney meets all the appropriate criteria for a bat haven.
Just remember: Bats provide a huge advantage to the environment as they keep insect populations under control so it is important that when we evict them from our chimney that we do it humanely.
Chimney Problems? We’re Here to Help
You don’t have to live with unwanted guests in your chimney. At Lords Chimney we can help you make sure your chimney is working as it should while keeping out unwanted guests. Call us today to schedule an inspection and keep those critters away.
Animals love chimneys; whether it is raccoons or squirrels, roof rats or birds, many different types of animals view chimneys as a safe, protected space to nest, have their young, or hide from predators. Unfortunately, animal entry can cause serious damage to your chimney, as well as put you and your family at risk.
When an animal gets into your chimney, it can be harmful to them and damaging to your chimney. However, it is possible to avoid animal entry with regular chimney maintenance and a good chimney cap.
How animals get in
The most common cause of animal entry into chimneys is a missing or damaged chimney cap. The chimney cap sits at the top of the flue, covering and protecting the flue from animals and the elements. While the solid metal top of the chimney cap prevents water from getting in, the mesh or wire sides serve two purposes: letting smoke out and preventing animals from getting in.
If they chimney cap is damaged in any way, it may be easier for animals to get in. Small holes, dents, damaged mesh, or missing screws might seem too minor, but even these small issues can leave spaces for animal entry. Birds and small mammals often only need a few inches of space to wiggle through, while raccoons have been known to claw or bite weak areas of chimney caps to create larger holes.
How animals damage your chimney
Even a tiny animal can create a big problem in your chimney. Below are some of the ways that animals can damage your chimney.
- Chimney cap: Animals can create or worsen damage to the chimney cap. This can leave your chimney susceptible to water and debris getting in – as well as more animals in the future.
- Flue liner: Sharp claws and talons can scratch and chip the delicate flue liner. Areas of damage in the liner can expose the surrounding building materials to heat or gasses from the chimney and may require your chimney to be relined.
- Debris: Animals rarely come into your chimney empty handed. Dry nesting materials in the chimney can ignite if the fireplace is used, putting you at greater risk for chimney fire. Likewise, many wild animals also carry bacteria, bugs, and other diseases.
Keeping animals out
The best way to keep animals out of your chimney is by having a quality, well-fitted and correctly installed chimney cap. A quality chimney cap protects the area of your chimney that is most susceptible to animal entry, as well as keeps water and debris from entering your chimney. Regular chimney inspections can also be used to spot damage to the chimney cap or other areas of the chimney before animals can get in.
At Lords Chimney, we are the animal removal experts; not only can we safely get the animals out, but we can also prevent them from coming back with a quality chimney cap. Contact us today to learn more about how the chimney cap protects your fireplace system from animal entry.
Your chimney and venting system consists of several different components to make it function safely and correctly. One of the most important parts of your chimney system, a chimney cap is needed to protect your chimney from water penetration, animal intrusion, and other things. While chimney caps are not required, we at Lords Chimney strongly recommend your chimney be capped for several essential reasons. As the cost and installation of a chimney cap is relatively inexpensive and can protect you against more expensive repair work, there is no excuse not to have a chimney cap on top of your chimney. We would like to tell you why a chimney cap is such a vitally important part of your chimney system.
A chimney cap protects the interior of your chimney from the elements.
According to EBSCO Research, a chimney cap keeps rain and melted snow from entering your chimney. If you receive a two-inch downpour of rain and have no chimney cap, you can get those two inches of rain water into your chimney. A chimney cap also protects you from wind issues. Persistent drafts can cause frustration and loss of money on heating bills. While a basic chimney cap will protect you from rain and melted snow, you can find special wind-resistant caps if you have problems with downdrafts in your chimney.
A chimney cap keeps animals from entering your chimney.
Even if you live in a climate with no snow and little rain, you still need a chimney cap to keep birds, squirrels, and raccoons out of your chimney. Many of these animals mistake chimneys for hollow trees and choose a chimney as a safe place to nest. Both the animals and their nesting can be fire hazards. The nests can cause chimney blockages and prevent toxic gases like carbon monoxide from exiting out through the chimney. This causes a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning since the gas is forced back into your home. Additionally, animals can become trapped and possibly die within your chimney, which causes a horrific odor and a possible bug infestation. To prevent these problems that come along with animal invasions. Contact Lords Chimney to install a chimney cap with metal screening on the sides to keep the animals out.
A chimney cap prevents sparks from jumping out of the chimney and igniting a fire.
We have talked about how a chimney cap is needed to keep things out of your chimney, but a cap is also important to keep hot sparks and embers inside your chimney. Occasionally, sparks and embers can fly out of your chimney and land on your roof or your neighbor’s roof, which can possibly cause a house fire. These sparks and embers may also land in your yard on a pile of leaves or a bush and cause a brush fire, which can quickly and easily become out of control. To prevent this, have a chimney cap with spark arrestors, or wire meshing, to keep the hot sparks and embers safely within your chimney.
Have more questions about chimney caps? Contact Lords Chimney to talk to our expert staff about custom installing a chimney cap on top of your chimney.
