If you’ve heard the sound of baby birds coming from your chimney, you may have a family of chimney swifts nesting inside your chimney flue. For over 20 years, Ace Chimney Sweeps has been taking care of our customers in the Elkton area who have had birds, squirrels, bats, raccoons, and other wild animals nesting in their chimneys.

Our Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA)-certified chimney professionals can help you get rid of wild animals and prevent them from entering again. However,  if you have chimney swifts inside your chimney, we will not be able to sweep it until they leave on their own in the fall. This is because they are a protected by federal law along with other migratory birds, under the Migratory Birds Treaty Act. We would like to tell you more about chimney swifts, and how we can help you prevent them from nesting in your chimney.

What are chimney swifts?

Understanding Chimney Swifts - Elkton MD - Ace Chimney Sweeps

If you have ever seen a small brown bird with a cigar-shaped body, you have most likely seen a chimney swift. Once they find their home inside your chimney, you will hear the these little birds chirping for days in your house. However, you can relax because according to the Chimney Swift Conservation Association, this annoying and loud sound should not be a problem after a couple of weeks when the babies are able to feed themselves.

These birds can be beneficial chimney mates because a family of chimney swifts eat more than 12,000 flying insects a day including mosquitoes, gnats, flies, and termites. Once fall arrives, chimney swifts will leave your chimney to fly to their winter homes in South America. Since migratory birds tend to return to their previous nesting spots, it is important to take action to keep them from coming back.

How can Ace Chimney Sweeps keep chimney swifts and other wild animals out of my chimney?

The best way to prevent birds, squirrels, bats, raccoons, and other critters from entering your chimney is to have a professional install a chimney cap. If your chimney is uncapped or existing cap is old and damaged, our staff can help you pick out a new cap that is equipped with mesh metal sides to keep wild animals and birds out. It can also help to prevent hot sparks and embers from jumping out of your chimney to  start an accidental fire. Let our CSIA-certified chimney technicians install a new cap to make sure it properly protects your chimney.

Have you noticed the sound of baby birds chirping from your chimney?

Contact us today at Ace Chimney Sweeps to make an appointment for a professional chimney inspection. We can tell if the birds inhibiting you chimney are chimney swifts or not. Although we cannot remove them because of federal protections, we will be here to help you get your chimney back in shape once these little critters leave. We can sweep your chimney, remove their nesting material, and install a chimney cap to keep them from returning next spring. Call us today at 410-392-4596 to get started.