Save the squirrels and birds from slow painful death.

[UsulofDoom]

Well its that time of year to start using the fire place. I have a ceramic wood stove that gets all its air from out side therefore a very efficient heat source . Well every year birds try to build a nest in it. Some times they fall down and I hear them then open all doors and windows and let them out.

This year they made a nest but it seems it fell down few feet from the top clogging up the chimney. So I had to make a long poll to pull it out of the top. Well I found one dead bird and 4 dead squirrels. (scared the shit out of me when they dropped down. )

There was a screen put on the top of the chimney but I think part has fallen or rusted away. Chimney is from ground to roof is 18ft and stack from roof is another 9ft. (very steep roof)

Now to get the screen fixed will cost big bucks due to steepness of roof and height of chimney. So any suggestion on how I can keep them out. Is there some type of scent that I can place in side that would keep them away during the year? Would any animal loves donate to save the invading animals?

[Austin]

Now to get the screen fixed will cost big bucks due to steepness of roof and height of chimney.

What's big bucks? Have you had it quoted? I'm sure you could get someone to do it for $50.00 or so if they have the right ladder. Case in point... We had a very large and very dead poplar in our back yard. Somone quoted me $550.00 to get rid of it. I stalled for a while and someone stopped by and ended up doing it that day for $225.00 plus one other dead tree. Plus they took the wood with them. (The other guy was going to leave it - which I didn't want)

Um... I guess my point is that procrastination can pay off, or that you should be able to find someone to do this kind of work fairly cheaply. Never hurts to call around for a quote.

[Dirt]

This year they made a nest but it seems it fell down few feet from the top clogging up the chimney. So I had to make a long poll to pull it out of the top. Well I found one dead bird and 4 dead squirrels. (scared the shit out of me when they dropped down. )

At least it wasn't a guy in a big, red suit.

[Austin]

This year they made a nest but it seems it fell down few feet from the top clogging up the chimney. So I had to make a long poll to pull it out of the top. Well I found one dead bird and 4 dead squirrels. (scared the shit out of me when they dropped down. )

At least it wasn't a guy in a big, red suit.

Although that would make for an interesting stop-motion animation special this year.

[Bad Demographic]

You could also check with an animal control / pest removal company near you. We had raccoons try to take up residence in our fireplace chimney. Getting rid of the raccoons (live trapping them and a bunch of squirrels, to boot) wasn't all that cheap, but capping the fireplace and furnace chimneys was.
Word of caution - if you have your furnace chimney capped too, you should make sure that the cap vents heat adequately. Ours didn't which caused a switch on the furnace to burn out which caused our furnace to stop turning on. We had to get the switch replaced AND the furnace chimney cap removed.

[Windows95]

You shouldn't have to worry about birds during the winter, they've already gone south or have a nest elsewhere. As for the rats that people like to call squirrels, show no mercy. I'm one of the few people that realises they're spawns of the devil, cheeky little bastards. And don't cut the chipmunks any slack either, they're from the same clan just with a better publicist.

[dbt1949]

We had one of those self feed units for dogs outside in the wolf pen. When we got rid of the wolves I just left it out there with some food.Six months later I was taking it down and there was a rotting cat in there who had crawled in the one way door for food and never got back out.
In retrospect we thought we had heard a cat but never saw one a few months preceding.

[Windows95]

We had one of those self feed units for dogs outside in the wolf pen. When we got rid of the wolves I just left it out there with some food.Six months later I was taking it down and there was a rotting cat in there who had crawled in the one way door for food and never got back out.
In retrospect we thought we had heard a cat but never saw one a few months preceding.

"Don't cry Timmy! It's just hibernating in there. Yeah, that's it. No need for tears 'cause he'll wake up when it's spring, uh, well not this spring...next spring...yeah. That's what all cats do for winter, climb in a one way door and go to sleep. The smell? Oh that' just his way of fooling other animals into thinking he's dead so he'll be left alone."

[Debris]

This year they made a nest but it seems it fell down few feet from the top clogging up the chimney. So I had to make a long poll to pull it out of the top. Well I found one dead bird and 4 dead squirrels. (scared the shit out of me when they dropped down. )

At least it wasn't a guy in a big, red suit.

Although that would make for an interesting stop-motion animation special this year.

There's something stuck up in the chimney
And I don't know what it is,
But it's been there all year long.
I'll been waiting up for Santa like I did last year
But my brother says, "He's already here."
And he's stuck up in the chimney
And he doesn't say a word
And he'll be there every Christmas.
And we'll have him every Christmas.