Hearing Noises In Your Chimney? What To Do About Animals Living There

Scratching, chirping, or thumping sounds from the chimney almost always mean one thing: something has moved in. Here's how to handle it without making things worse.

Don't light a fire to "smoke them out"

It's tempting, but lighting a fire with an animal trapped in the flue is dangerous for the animal, can panic it further into the house, and in the case of birds, is often illegal under migratory bird protection laws depending on species.

Figure out who moved in

Raccoons tend to use chimneys seasonally to raise young and will usually leave on their own once the babies are mobile — removal can sometimes make things worse if young are still inside. Birds and squirrels are more often permanent nuisances that need active removal and a cap afterward.

Why a cap is the real fix

Removing the current resident without capping the flue just means another animal moves in next season. A properly fitted cap with mesh sides is the only way to actually close the door for good.