Warning: My uncle said to always check for raccoons before sweeping a chimney in the spring.

Didn't listen on a job in Springfield last April, and a whole family came tumbling down into the fireplace. Anyone have a good, safe way to check for critters up there?

3 comments

3 Comments

lindagreen3mo ago

Oh man, that reminds me of the time my cousin found a possum in his grill. He just went to light it for burgers and the whole thing started shaking. We had to call animal control, and the guy said they nest in warm spots all the time after winter. Maybe try tapping the flue with a broom handle first and listen for scrambling. A flashlight up there wouldn't hurt either.

luna_sanchez3d ago

Wait, wouldn't a raccoon be way more likely to climb up a chimney than a possum? I see @lindagreen's point about critters liking warm spots after winter, but possums usually stay on the ground or in low trees. They're not great climbers compared to raccoons or squirrels. I've pulled enough animals out of chimneys through my old side gig to know that possums getting stuck up there is pretty rare. If you hear scratching or thumping, it's probably a raccoon or a squirrel that fell down the flue. Either way, tapping the broom handle first is smart, but don't bet on it being a possum unless you actually see it.

dakota7873mo ago

Seriously, a possum in the grill is one thing, but calling animal control for a noise in the chimney feels like overkill. Most of the time it's just leaves or a branch that fell down there making a weird sound. Tapping it is fine, but I'd wait to see any actual proof before making that call. They charge a fee for nothing half the time.