We’ll bet that you thought it was something that only happened in cartoons, right? A puff of black smoke escapes your fireplace and you hear all sorts of noises further up your chimney. If you’re lucky, that puff of smoke will be followed by the sound of frantic, panicked bird wings trying to escape. It could be another animal which has simply fallen inside your chimney. This is a relatively quick fix, and something you’ll be able to control without too much trouble.

If those sounds are irregular and only heard once-in-a-while, then it’s likely that some form of rodent has found a cozy new home in your chimney. There are a few ways you can try to remove them but ultimately, you’re going to need the help of the rodent control experts.

So What Do You Do?

Rats will use chimneys as a nesting site, and it’s more common than you might think. They’re hidden and out-of-reach, so it’s hard to identify them or remove them. They’ll have the warmth they need from the insides of your home. Rats are experts climbers so access won’t be an issue, and they can enter your home almost at will to feast upon your food.

Rats build nests with all sorts of debris and waste materials. They’ll carefully pile the materials in the narrow spaces or the gaps of your chimney.

If you believe there are rodents in your chimney, there are a few things you can do to try and remove them. The first and most common piece of advice is to set rat traps. Rats will need to work their way down the chimney and into your home to scavenge for food. Set some traps around your fireplace and close to the areas where you believe they’re feeding.

Rat traps, however, aren’t known for being particularly effective. Rats are incredibly intelligent creatures and suspicious of new arrivals in the surrounding area (quite ironically). Having your chimney professionally cleaned is a good idea. As they’re cleaning, a professional will be able to tell if there are any gaps small enough for rats to build a nest inside. You can have these cracks and gaps repaired, and a grate installed over your chimney so that future access is restricted.

Is Your Home at Risk?

Unfortunately, if you discover a rodent nest in your chimney it spells danger for more than just your food supplies. Rats carry all sorts of diseases and they could be bringing them into your home. They’ll leave droppings behind which could contaminate food and spread infection. Rats will also chew through electrical cables when they need to, creating fire hazards and destroying electrical systems. Your chimney is also at risk. Older chimneys, in particular, could see extensive damage to the structure and foundations.

Call Truly Nolen Today

At Truly Nolen, our rodent control team will be able to identify a rat nest in a chimney immediately. We’ll know exactly how to remove your rat problem safely, and without causing any further damage to the structure of your home.

Once we’ve removed the rodent nest, we’ll look to future proof your home too. Our technicians have seen it all before, and they’ll know exactly how a rat gained access to those hard-to-reach places. If there are any cracks, gaps, and holes that rats can use to their advantage, we’ll make sure that they’re sealed and safe for the future. It’s highly likely that we’ll also install a chimney cap so that your chimney won’t be used by rodents again.

Call us today for a free quote and see how we can help with your rodent control problem.