Scratching, chirping, rustling, or thumping coming from your chimney is almost always one of four animals: chimney swifts (federally protected May-Aug), raccoons (with kits, typically), squirrels, or starlings/other birds. We extract 60+ animal occupations per spring season across DFW. The right response depends on what’s in there — and getting it wrong (with chimney swifts especially) can mean federal fines plus an angry, trapped animal. Call **214-444-8103** for same-week identification and humane removal.

What This Likely Means — Sound Identification

**Chimney swifts (≈42% of cases, May-Aug only).** Federally protected birds that nest exclusively in chimneys. Sound: high-pitched chittering, especially at dawn/dusk. Multiple birds. **Cannot legally be removed during nesting season** — must wait until they fledge (typically 60-70 days). Solution: install a cap immediately AFTER they leave to prevent next year. **Raccoons (≈28%).** Heavy thumping, growling, vocalizations. Often a mother with kits. Common in late winter / early spring (Feb-April). Sound: scratching, vocalizations, sometimes thumping when she moves. **Squirrels (≈18%).** Fast scratching, often during day. Squirrels frequently fall in and can’t climb back out — they need extraction. **Starlings, other birds (≈8%).** Rapid chirping, flapping. Usually ones that fell in during nesting attempts. **Bats (≈4%).** Soft fluttering at dusk. Some species are protected. Different removal protocol.

What You Should Do Right Now

1. **Close the damper** — keep the animal contained to the flue, not entering the room. 2. **Listen for 10 minutes** — note the sound type, frequency, time of day. 3. **Look at the chimney top from outside** — birds visible? Fresh scratch marks? 4. **Don’t light a fire.** Smoking out is illegal for protected species and inhumane regardless. 5. **Call 214-444-8103** for identification visit.

What NOT to DIY

– **Never light a fire to “smoke out” the animal.** Federal violation for protected species. Cruel for any animal. Can also ignite glazed creosote. – **Don’t pour water down the flue.** Drowning is illegal for protected species and unnecessarily cruel. – **Don’t reach in.** Raccoons are aggressive, especially with kits. Bites carry rabies risk. – **Don’t seal the top while it’s in there** — you trap it. Animal dies, decomposes, smell follows. – **Don’t try chemical repellents.** Don’t work on protected species, often illegal.

Our Diagnostic & Removal Process

When you call **214-444-8103**, we run an animal-in-chimney visit ($89-$-+): 1. **Identification visit** — visual + audio diagnosis from below and above 2. **Species verification** — critical for legal protection (chimney swifts) 3. **Humane removal protocol per species:** – Squirrels, starlings: one-way trap or hand extraction – Raccoons (with kits): wait for kits to climb on mother, remove together – Chimney swifts: **cannot remove during nesting season** — schedule cap install for September – Bats: protected species protocol with wildlife specialist referral 4. **Sanitation** — droppings, nest material, parasites 5. **Cap install** to prevent re-entry — $189-$-+ 6. **Photo documentation**

Cost Expectation

– **Identification visit only** — $89-$-+ – **Humane removal (non-protected species)** — $89-$-+ – **Sanitation after removal** — $129-$-+ – **Cap install (prevention)** — $189-$-+ – **Bundle: removal + sanitation + cap** — $389-$-+ – **Chimney swift season cap-install (post-Aug)** — $189-$-+

FAQ

**Can you remove chimney swifts now (in May)?** No — federal law protects them through nesting. We schedule cap install for September after they fledge. **How do I know if it’s a raccoon vs. a bird?** Raccoons thump and growl. Birds chitter. Call us — identification visit is $89-$-+. **Will the animal leave on its own?** Squirrels and birds that fell in often can’t climb back out. Raccoons with kits won’t leave until kits are mobile. **Is it dangerous to my family?** Bites are unlikely if you keep the damper closed, but droppings carry parasites and disease. Sanitize after removal. **Why didn’t my old cap work?** Mesh rusted out, cap blew off, or cap was never the right size. We install 304/316 stainless that lasts 25-40 years.

Schedule Identification

**Call 214-444-8103** — humane, certified, same-week response.

Related

– [Chimney Cap Installation Cost — DFW](https://texaschimneyexperts.com/cost/chimney-cap-installation-cost-dfw/) – [Chimney Cap Replacement Cost — Dallas](https://texaschimneyexperts.com/cost/chimney-cap-replacement-cost-dallas/) – [Symptom: Chimney Smells Bad](https://texaschimneyexperts.com/symptoms/chimney-smells-bad-dallas/) – [Symptom: Smoke Coming Back Into Room](https://texaschimneyexperts.com/symptoms/smoke-coming-back-into-room/) – [Chimney Sweep Cost — Plano](https://texaschimneyexperts.com/cost/chimney-sweep-cost-plano/)

JSON-LD