# Critter in my stove pipe!!



## emt1581 (Aug 14, 2012)

I'm not sure what to do but there's either a squirrel or a bird stuck in my stove pipe.  It's been scuffling around all night.  I tried opening my flue to get a look inside....nothing.  Then I tried rotating the air shut off/draft/damper thingy....and I  could have sworn I felt resistance.

What do I do?  Is pest removal covered under most home owner's plans?  

Thanks

-Emt1581


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## BrotherBart (Aug 14, 2012)

Put a candle in the stove. And get a better cap.


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## emt1581 (Aug 14, 2012)

BrotherBart said:


> Put a candle in the stove. And get a better cap.


 
Candle in the stove?  You mean in the firebox....just light a tea candle and close everything up??  What will that do?

I rotated the damper and it started squealing.  I'm pretty sure it's a squirrel. 

I really hate to take everything apart at 11pm....plus then if I don't get it right away I'll have a squirrel running around my house with my baby sleeping and a German Shepherd that has a special hatred of squirrels....

-Emt1581


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## rdust (Aug 14, 2012)

I'm thinking bat, they tend to get active at night!

You could just let it die and then remove the body later.


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## Pagey (Aug 15, 2012)

I've had a bird and a bat.  This year, I put a small square from an old screen window over the flue and put the twist-lock chimney cap over it.  The bat took longer to show itself, but it finally climbed down from the Lopi's upper fire brick baffle.  I used thick welding gloves, a towel, and the ash shovel to carefully remove it.  The bird went straight for the door.


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## budman (Aug 15, 2012)

That's why I put a 6 inch pvc cap on my stack for the summer months'.


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## emt1581 (Aug 15, 2012)

Well it happened again tonight, I turned the damper and the thing got pinned down and started squeaking...definitely a bat. 

So I unscrewed the stove pipe and had my wife at the ready with the fishing net.  As soon as the pipe came off, she covered the opening of the stove.  I ran outside with the pipe....nothing!  Nothing inside the pipe!  Ok, so I go back in thinking it is somewhere in the stove...nope!  Nothing! 

I'm not sure where this little bastard got to, but it's not in my stove or house so I guess it's a good night.

Thanks for the replies.

-Emt1581


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## Shadow&Flame (Aug 15, 2012)

After a small invasion of chimney sweeps years ago...I built a chimney cap with expander metal and never had another problem with unwanted guests.
My grandparents home had all kinds of critters come down the chimney...straight shot down with no cap.  The house had a fireplace for heat and no AC...had to pick carefully the time of year to visit...ha


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## emt1581 (Aug 15, 2012)

Well, turns out it was a small bat.  I heard the thing freaking out again after I put the pipe back on.  I pinned him with the damper, took the pipe outside and let him go.  Hopefully he doesn't make the same mistake twice.

-Emt1581


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## pen (Aug 16, 2012)

So, have you picked out your new cap yet? 

Glad you got him. 

pen


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## Pagey (Aug 16, 2012)

Nice work!  I was admittedly nervous getting rid of the bat in our Endeavor when it happened.  The CDC's standard protocol, for example, is for any human found to have been asleep in a room where a bat is found is to undergo the round of rabies shots.  Now, you must turn to the wife, strike a daring pose, and, with a very serious look, explain..."I'm batman!"


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## HollowHill (Aug 16, 2012)

Pagey said:


> Nice work! I was admittedly nervous getting rid of the bat in our Endeavor when it happened. The CDC's standard protocol, for example, is for any human found to have been asleep in a room where a bat is found is to undergo the round of rabies shots. Now, you must turn to the wife, strike a daring pose, and, with a very serious look, explain..."I'm batman!"


Yeah, I never understood that - do they think bats don't fly - and swiftly at that???


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## Pagey (Aug 16, 2012)

HollowHill said:


> Yeah, I never understood that - do they think bats don't fly - and swiftly at that???


 
I think the logic is that bites aren't often painful, so if you wake up and find a bat in the room, assume you've been bitten.


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## Ashful (Aug 16, 2012)

I just put a rope down the chimney, and let whatever it is crawl out. In my case, putting a blanket over the stove, so the only light the critter could see was that coming down the chimney, was the key to guiding him/her out.


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## Pagey (Aug 16, 2012)

Joful said:


> I just put a rope down the chimney, and let whatever it is crawl out. In my case, putting a blanket over the stove, so the only light the critter could see was that coming down the chimney, was the key to guinding him/her out.


 
That's a pretty good idea.  I'd never considered that!


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## Highbeam (Aug 16, 2012)

Nobody considered starting a fire?


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## Ashful (Aug 16, 2012)

Highbeam said:


> Nobody considered starting a fire?


 
Not a good idea, unless you're positive your stove pipe won't end up being partially/mostly blocked by the critter.


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## Pagey (Aug 16, 2012)

Highbeam said:


> Nobody considered starting a fire?


 
I did consider it with the bat, but I couldn't help thinking it would be a terrible way to expire.  Of course rabies is probably less enjoyable.


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## MishMouse (Aug 16, 2012)

We had a bat in our bedroom a couple of weeks ago.
During the middle of the night I heard something by the fan. Didn't think much of it.
As the night progressed the noise got louder and I heard a clunk as it knocked one of the fan extension to the floor.
Then I seen its shadow and heard it fly over my head. Needless to say it was around 4:00AM at the time and the light was pretty dim and wife was a "little" tense.
I turned on the light and went to get a couple of tennis rackets, we pinned it between the window and the screen and when I closed the window to trap it, it got squashed.


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