Rat Nest In Chimney

Without a damper in place rodents will climb down chimneys into the home.

Rat nest in chimney.

Rats make nests by gathering debris into the narrow space of the flue of your fireplace. Keep the damper closed when the fireplace is not in use. The nest is in the chimney stack of a 40 year old 2 bedroom semi detached house. The chimney is not a large one.

If we had been asked to treat or remove this wasp nest a few years ago then one person would have done it by putting a ladder up to the gutter level and aiming a jet of insecticide into the chimney pot. When selecting places to construct nests squirrels typically look for secluded areas off the ground with plenty of cover. You may hear scratching as they go about their daily routine but frantic scratching may indicate that they are trapped. If you start a fire in your fireplace and notice heavy smoke and a strong smell it could be a rat nest burning in the chimney.

You should also have a professional inspect your roof and chimney for potential entry points. While squirrels rarely infest chimneys themselves the pests may nest in metal chimney boxes see picture below. Small animals such as mice rats and squirrels will also build nests in the chimney. Norway rats can also enter your chimney from the ground level and find little shelves to nest on.

Cap the chimney you should install a mesh covered chimney cap to keep small rodents from entering. For a small rodent a chimney may resemble a hollow tree which can be an ideal place to build a nest. Rats sometimes carry disease and cause property damage so getting them out of the fireplace is ideal.