Got a call to a historic house in Charleston and found a raccoon nest in the flue

I was cleaning a chimney at this old 1800s home last Tuesday when I pulled the damper and a bundle of leaves and trash came with it. Turned out a raccoon had been using the chimney as a den for weeks. Now I always bring a flashlight and a stiff brush to check for critters before I start. Has anyone else run into animals making a mess in a flue?

3 comments

3 Comments

miller.rowan15d agoMost Upvoted

Man, my buddy once found a squirrel living in a grill flue, scared him half to death.

markh8515d ago

Wait, you pulled the damper and a whole nest came with it? That's nuts, I'd have jumped out of my skin if that happened to me.

tarabell15d ago

Hear me out, people exaggerate stuff all the time online. I've seen plenty of birds in chimneys and it's usually just some twigs, not a whole fancy nest. Probably just a few leaves that fell apart when he yanked on it.