Raccoons in my chimney!

[mistressdevine50]

I have 3 raccoons in my chimney., It is a 3 sided brick chimney with cellotex on the house side. The trapper I contacted usually smokes them out..but he won't use fire with the cellotex. it is all chewed up and they are nesting in it. I have 3 rectangular clay pipes at the top of the chimney. one has a cap...this is apparently the flue from the furnace and hot water heater. the other 2 go down about 6 feet and stop, leaving a wide open space. I need to cap the 2 clay pipes, but must be sure the 'coons are out before I do it. Wildlife people say a momma coon will tear a roof apart if she has babies in there. I have listened with a stethoscope and dont hear any baby noises. Any ideas on how to encourage them to leave and stay out while I get the caps put on? Humane society suggests loud rap music and a strobe light lowered down on a long extension...I cant afford a strobe. I need to repair a few loose brick while I am up there. I have the caulk recommended by the home store. Any tips? I know I will need to clean the area..is sweeping good enough or is an acid cleaning with muriatic needed? The concrete cap that is set at an angle that surrounds the chimney is spalled badly, and I will need to replace it. Is the premixed ceramic-plastic mix a good thing to use there? Thanks for any and all help. Anybody got any good recepies for racoon (LOL) MD

[AND Books]

[e-mail] wrote: : Humane society suggests loud rap music and a strobe light lowered down : on a long extension...I cant afford a strobe. : I need to repair a few loose brick while I am up there. I have the : caulk recommended by the home store. Any tips? I know I will need to : clean the area..is sweeping good enough or is an acid cleaning with : muriatic needed? Iron Butterfly Ina Gada Davida! LOUD on repeat... enjoy! cheap tuna fish mixed with DeCon... do not taste, it's just hors d'oeuvre nylon stockings filled with dog hair mothballs all of the above! good luck especially if they get into the attic & nest best

[m Ransley]

The Celotex I know is a foamboard company, How can you have a 3 sided brick chimney, one that is rated and used. Are you sure it isnt all brick. I smoked out a coon in my chimney with a fire, 1 minute after the fire went out he climbed back in, so I made a bigger fire then hit him with a garden hose when he came out, Coons hate being hit with a hose and water. Start a fire or put a radio in the fireplace, maybe a bowl of amonia if it draws up , but I dought the fireplace isnt fire rated. The right way to tuckpoint is mild acid to clean the mortar after you grind or chop it out, but few ever do it.

[marson]

I once "smoked" out a skunk from under a shed by running a hose that was connected to the exhaust of a gas engine.

[hallerb]

please dont hurt the coon, its just rying to make a living. you can get cheap strope lamps from radio shack, under 20 bucks should cover that. use the humane society ideas you might try a havehart live trap near the chimney, then take the coon out in the country and release

I would get a chimey sweep to inspect your chimey with a camera. it can confirm your tenants have moved:) and make certain everything else is ok. well worth the expense.

the celotex on one side concerns me, chimney should be at least all brick if not lined with tile.

[tinacci336]

Throw a hand full of moth balls in there they will eventually evaporate , in meantime mr. coon will vacate also. Jack

[Speedy Jim]

Leave them alone and save yourself all this grief.

In another 4 weeks or so, Momma will retrieve the li'l ones and head off to the woods. Then you can cap the unused flues.

I have seen them peel all the shingles off in a desperate attempt to get the babies out when homeowner tried to foil them.

Jim

[Lar]

In article , [e-mail] says... :) I have 3 raccoons in my chimney., It is a 3 sided brick chimney with :) cellotex on the house side. The trapper I contacted usually smokes them :) out..but he won't use fire with the cellotex. it is all chewed up and :) they are nesting in it. :) I have 3 rectangular clay pipes at the top of the chimney. one has a :) cap...this is apparently the flue from the furnace and hot water :) heater. the other 2 go down about 6 feet and stop, leaving a wide open :) space. I need to cap the 2 clay pipes, but must be sure the 'coons are :) out before I do it. Wildlife people say a momma coon will tear a roof :) apart if she has babies in there. I have listened with a stethoscope :) and dont hear any baby noises. :) Any ideas on how to encourage them to leave and stay out while I get :) the caps put on? :) Humane society suggests loud rap music and a strobe light lowered down :) on a long extension...I cant afford a strobe. :) I need to repair a few loose brick while I am up there. I have the :) caulk recommended by the home store. Any tips? I know I will need to :) clean the area..is sweeping good enough or is an acid cleaning with :) muriatic needed? :) The concrete cap that is set at an angle that surrounds the chimney is :) spalled badly, and I will need to replace it. Is the premixed :) ceramic-plastic mix a good thing to use there? :) Thanks for any and all help. Anybody got any good recepies for racoon :) (LOL) :) MD :) :) They will be leaving the chimney to feed...find where they travel and place a raccoon trap baitd with sardines. I would not just take it for a ride and let it go, you can spread canine distemper to healthy animals in the wild if yours is effected. You probably can find an animal rescue place to take them in for observation before release

[Lar]

In article , [e-mail] says... :) Throw a hand full of moth balls in there they will eventually evaporate :) , in meantime mr. coon will vacate also. :) Jack :) :) And hopefully your living room won't be full of the moth ball smell in the meantime. :/

[Lar]

In article , [e-mail] says... :) In another 4 weeks or so, Momma will retrieve the li'l ones :) and head off to the woods. Then you can cap the unused flues. :) :) But that's another four weeks of fleas and ticks multiplying with possible access in the home. Worst type of infestations, no direct way to treat for them.

[Joseph Meehan]

Or at least one of them.

[Joseph Meehan]

If that is a closed area where they are, you don't really need to worry as they will not be infesting your home.

[Lar]

In article , sligojoe [e-mail] says... :) Lar wrote: :) > In article , :) > [e-mail] says... :) > :) In another 4 weeks or so, Momma will retrieve the li'l ones :) > :) and head off to the woods. Then you can cap the unused flues. :) > :) :) > :) :) > But that's another four weeks of fleas and ticks multiplying with :) > possible access in the home. Worst type of infestations, no direct :) > way to treat for them. :) :) If that is a closed area where they are, you don't really need to worry :) as they will not be infesting your home. :) :) Not sure if I have ever seen a chimney set up that could keep insects out and I have done plenty of flea work over the years that had originated from raccoons or opossums climbing down the stack.

[German Jerry]

If you try the mothball trick or amonia or some other noxious fumes you may want to make a vapor barrier to your home so the fumes dont enter the living area. Also you want to stop fleas and ticks from entering as well. Im afraid your damper might not be up to that task. You may want to put in a Chimney Balloon down low in the chimney by the flue. I bought mine at

and it worked well to keep draft out. I bet it would hold back the fumes and fleas as well.

If the coon decends and demands entry though, that balloon aint gonna stop him and neither will your damper. German Jerry

[ameijers]

Yeah, but we would be hip-deep in manure by now if he had. All mother nature's creatures serve a purpose.

aem sends...

[Bryan]

Only works if he didn't leave the pregnant one alive.

[Herb Stein]

I don't know about where you live, but transporting live wildlife and releasing them can get you is serious trouble in certain parts of the country. It sounds very humane, but I was told not to do it in St. Louis (Missouri) county.

-- Herb [e-mail]

[Doug Kanter]

I'm wondering why the guy who started this thread hasn't simply called the local animal control office.

[mm]

Doesn't seem too high. I was thinking of a pawn shop. Don't bands pawn these things when they break up, or decide to do without frills?

[mm]

Did you know that July 4, 1876 was the day that St. Louis seceded from St. Louis county. Or vice versa. I just heard that on the radio today.