Chimney Animal & Nest Removal Seattle, WA

Chimney animal and nest removal is the safe, humane process of getting a trapped or nesting animal out of your flue, clearing the nesting material it left behind, and sealing the opening so it cannot happen again. If you hear scratching, chirping or thumping inside the chimney, see droppings or twigs in the firebox, or notice a sour smell coming from the fireplace, there is a good chance something has moved in. Homeowners in Seattle, Tacoma and across King, Pierce and Snohomish counties call us for exactly this problem every spring and fall.

The single most important thing to know: do not light a fire to drive an animal out. A fire can kill a trapped animal, ignite a nest packed with dry twigs and leaves, and push smoke and carbon monoxide back into your living room because the flue is blocked. An uncapped chimney is simply an open hole in your roof, and to a raccoon, squirrel or bird it looks like a ready-made den.

Our team handles the whole job in the right order: identify what is in the chimney, remove or release it humanely, clean out the nest and any debris, inspect the flue for damage, and fit a proper chimney cap so the problem stays solved.

Timing & Safety

When animal removal is urgent and when it can wait

Call promptly when:

• You hear a live animal that sounds trapped or distressed. Animals that fall down a smooth flue often cannot climb back out and will die without help.
• There is a strong odor or flies, which usually means a dead animal that will only get worse.
• You need to use the fireplace and suspect the flue is blocked. Never use the fireplace until the chimney has been checked.
• A raccoon has settled on the smoke shelf. Raccoons can push through a damper into the home.

It can be scheduled, but do not ignore it, when:

• You hear chirping from chimney swifts or other nesting birds. By federal law the nest must be left alone until the young have fledged, usually a few weeks. We can inspect now and return to clean out and cap the chimney once the birds are gone.
• An old, abandoned nest is visible but the fireplace is not in use. It still needs to come out before the burning season because it is a fire and smoke hazard.
• The chimney has no cap but no current activity. Adding a cap now is far simpler than dealing with a tenant later.

Safety considerations

• Never light a fire to smoke an animal out. It can kill the animal, ignite the nest, and force smoke and carbon monoxide into the house.
• Keep the damper closed and the fireplace doors or screen shut so a frightened animal cannot enter the living space.
• Do not reach into the flue or try to grab an animal. Raccoons, squirrels and bats can bite and may carry rabies or other diseases; droppings can carry parasites and fungal spores.
• Stay off the roof. Wet Puget Sound roofs are slick, and a technician with the right equipment should handle anything at the chimney top.
• Migratory birds are protected. Chimney swifts, swallows and most native birds fall under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Disturbing an active nest, eggs or chicks is illegal. The correct approach is to wait for the birds to leave, then clean and cap.
• Gas fireplaces: if you ever smell gas, leave the house immediately and call your gas utility or 911 from outside.
• After any blockage, the flue should be inspected before the next fire. Nesting debris can leave behind partial obstructions and damage you cannot see from the firebox.

Seattle & Puget Sound conditions

Western Washington's mild, wet climate makes chimneys especially attractive shelters. Raccoons and squirrels look for dry, warm spots during our long rainy stretches, and an uncapped flue that gathers residual heat from the house is exactly that. Birds, including chimney swifts, return to the Puget Sound region each spring and favor open masonry flues for nesting. Older homes in Seattle, Tacoma, Everett and the surrounding neighborhoods often have original brick chimneys that were never capped, and decades of freeze-thaw cycles and moss growth can widen gaps at the crown that give smaller animals an easy way in. Because so many local chimneys sit idle through the summer, an animal can settle in unnoticed until the first cold evening in October when someone tries to light a fire. An inspection before burning season, and a cap if your chimney does not have one, prevents most of these calls entirely.