Bat exclusion
Bats are excluded rather than trapped and the top is sealed after they are gone.
Chimney Sweeping
Chimney Animal Removal Stroudsburg, PA
A local sweep can clear animals out of a Stroudsburg chimney and install a cap so they cannot get back in. Call (272) 271-1491 to reach a local chimney sweep.
To birds, raccoons and squirrels, an uncapped chimney is a dry, sheltered den. Birds build nests on the smoke shelf or damper, raccoons den on the smoke shelf to raise their young, and squirrels fall in and cannot climb back out. They leave nests that can block smoke and catch fire, droppings that smell and parasites that can spread.
It is tempting to light a fire and force the animal out, but it does more harm than good. It can kill young animals that cannot leave, set the nest on fire and fill the house with smoke. Keep the damper and any fireplace doors closed so the animal stays in the chimney, and keep pets away from the fireplace.
The type of animal decides how and when it can be removed. Chimney swifts are a protected migratory bird, so their nests can only be removed after nesting season, and a sweep will advise on timing. Rules on trapping and relocating wildlife vary by state, so the method follows what is allowed in Pennsylvania. Every removal should end with a cap on the flue.
If the problem goes deeper than it first looked, a Stroudsburg chimney sweep may also recommend chimney cap installation or chimney cleaning.
Looking for Stroudsburg chimney animal removal? Call (272) 271-1491 to talk to a local chimney sweep.
Call nowThe process
What happens during chimney animal removal
Getting an animal out cleanly takes the right timing and a few steps.
Figure out what it is
A camera or light and the signs you describe show whether it is birds, a raccoon or something else since each one is handled differently.
Plan the timing
If chimney swifts are nesting, the sweep will advise on when the nest can come out and you hear what to expect.
Get it out
Animals are removed by hand, with a catch pole, through a one-way exit or by letting a mother move her young with care taken around the damper and smoke shelf.
Remove debris
Nesting material is pulled out, since it can block the flue and catch fire and the area is cleaned up.
Sanitize
Droppings and contaminated debris are bagged and the area is cleaned and deodorized since droppings can carry disease.
Cap the chimney
A cap that covers the flue and blocks wildlife is fitted so the problem does not repeat next season.
What is included
Animals removed from chimneys
Bird nests
Birds and their nesting material are removed as covered in more detail below.
Raccoon dens
Raccoon dens above the damper are cleared out without harming the kits.
Odor cleanup
An animal that died in the chimney is removed and the odor treated before the fireplace is used again.
Small animals
Small animals stuck in the flue or on the damper are removed and the entry point is closed.
Related service
Bird Nest Removal Stroudsburg, PA
Birds nest in chimneys because the inside of a flue is dry, sheltered and hard for predators to reach. Their nests sit on the smoke shelf, the damper or the flue walls, and the dry twigs and grass can block the draft and catch fire with the first fire of the season. Nests in flues that serve gas or oil appliances are a carbon monoxide risk too, since they can push exhaust back into the house.
Because chimney swifts are protected, their nests cannot be disturbed during nesting season. A Stroudsburg sweep can tell you when removal is allowed, then clear the nest and cap the chimney. Other species can often be handled sooner, depending on the bird and the rules that apply.
Related service
Raccoon Removal Stroudsburg, PA
Raccoons are strong climbers, and a mother raccoon will often choose a chimney smoke shelf as a den to raise her kits in spring. You may hear chattering, crying or thumping above the damper, especially at dusk when the mother comes and goes. Never reach into the chimney or try to grab a raccoon, since they can carry rabies and their droppings can carry roundworm.
A common approach is to remove the kits first and give the mother the chance to move them, then confirm the den is empty before capping. Trapping and relocation rules differ by state, so the method follows what is allowed in Pennsylvania. After that, droppings are cleaned up and a sturdy cap is fitted, since raccoons can tear lightweight caps off.
Local help
Chimney Animal Removal Near Me
Chimneys in Stroudsburg see the most animal activity in spring and early summer, when birds nest and raccoons raise their young. Homes in Stroudsburg and nearby towns such as Arlington Heights, East Stroudsburg, Penn Estates and Bangor with trees close to the roof make it easy for raccoons and squirrels to reach the top. A cap with a mesh screen is the simplest fix, and trimming branches back from the roof helps too.
For chimney animal removal in Stroudsburg, PA or nearby towns like Arlington Heights, East Stroudsburg, Penn Estates and Bangor, call (272) 271-1491 to reach a chimney sweep who covers your street.
What the local climate does to a chimney
Winters here are long and cold, and the heating season usually runs from October well into April. Masonry takes the worst of it from the freeze and thaw cycle: water soaks into brick, mortar joints and the crown on a mild day, freezes overnight and expands, which is how cracks, loose bricks and leaks start. Nor'easters drive rain sideways into flashing and mortar that looked fine in summer. That is why chimney cleaning in Stroudsburg is usually booked in the fall, before the first cold night.
Why call
Why act early
Safer fires
A chimney problem fixed early rarely spreads to the masonry, the liner or the house.
Sweeps who know Stroudsburg
Local sweeps see the same chimney types and weather wear across Stroudsburg and nearby towns.
Clear next steps
Ask the sweep about the cause, the options and the estimate before work starts.
Chimney Animal Removal questions
Can I light a fire to get an animal out of my chimney?
Lighting a fire is the wrong move with an animal in the chimney. Babies cannot escape, nesting material can catch fire and a blocked flue can fill the room with smoke. Keep the damper closed and call a sweep instead.
How do I keep animals out of my chimney?
A chimney cap with a mesh screen is the most effective way to keep animals out. It should be fastened well enough that a raccoon cannot pull it off, with mesh small enough to stop birds without clogging with creosote. Cutting back branches that reach the roof makes the chimney harder to reach.
Why are animals in the chimney a problem?
Animals in a chimney cause problems beyond the noise. Nests can block the flue and catch fire, droppings can carry disease, and raccoons can carry rabies and roundworm. A blocked flue on a furnace or water heater can also send carbon monoxide into the house, so keep CO alarms working.
Can chimney swifts be removed from my chimney?
Because chimney swifts are protected, removal has to wait until the birds leave for the season. The sweep can tell you when it is allowed, then clean out the nest and add a cap. Until then, keep the damper closed and do not use the fireplace.
What should I do about a dead animal smell in the fireplace?
A sour, rotten odor from the fireplace points to a dead animal in the chimney. The animal has to be removed, along with any nest and droppings, and the area cleaned and deodorized. Close the damper until it is removed.
More questions? Call (272) 271-1491
Other services that may help
Chimney Cap Installation
Fitting a metal cap over the top of the flue sized to the flue tile or the whole crown.
Learn moreChimney Cleaning
Sweeping soot and creosote out of masonry and factory-built chimneys, so the flue drafts well and burns safely.
Learn moreChimney Odor Removal
Removing chimney odors at the source instead of covering them up so the room stops smelling like an old ashtray.
Learn moreChimney Damper Repair
Fixing stuck, rusted or warped chimney dampers so smoke goes up and heated air stays in.
Learn more
Looking for something else?
See all chimney servicesGet chimney animal removal help in Stroudsburg
Call now for Stroudsburg chimney animal removal and help in the towns around it.
(272) 271-1491
Free to call. No forms to fill out.