Animal and nest removal in Idaho
We clear nesting material and debris from the flue, check what it was blocking, and identify the opening it came through so the top can be closed properly.
Call Idaho Chimney Pros (888) 481-4424
A nest in a flue is a blockage, and a blocked flue can push combustion gases back into the room. Stop using the appliance, and have the flue cleared and the way in closed before it is lit again. Live or protected animals are work for a wildlife specialist first.
Idaho homes, city by city
This page covers animal and nest removal for Idaho Chimney Pros as a whole. No Idaho city has its own page for this service yet; the figures below are the Census and NOAA records for the cities this brand covers. Whether we can schedule work at your address is confirmed after we review your request.
Across the four Idaho cities with a page here — Boise, Meridian, Coeur d'Alene, and Idaho Falls — the Census counts 203,052 housing units and about 482,796 people. That is those cities added together, not a figure for Idaho as a whole.
Median build years run from 1977 in Idaho Falls to 2006 in Meridian, a spread of 29 years in the housing a chimney belongs to.
Utility gas is the primary heat in 49.4% of occupied homes in Idaho Falls and 76.4% in Meridian, which is why what a flue vents is established at the address rather than by state.
Wood is the primary heat in 0.5% of occupied homes in Idaho Falls and 1.7% in Coeur d'Alene, so a wood fire here is usually an occasional one.
The nearest NOAA stations record 5,513 heating degree days a year near Boise and 7,335 near Idaho Falls, about 33% more heating demand at the colder end.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates 2019-2023, table B25001, retrieved 2026-09-15; U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates 2019-2023, table B01003, retrieved 2026-09-15; U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates 2019-2023, table B25035, retrieved 2026-09-15; U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates 2019-2023, table B25040, retrieved 2026-09-15; NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (annual/seasonal), retrieved 2026-09-15; NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (annual/seasonal), retrieved 2026-09-15
What the visit covers
Book this when you hear scratching, chirping or fluttering in the chimney, when nesting material or droppings appear in the firebox, when a strong animal odor develops, or when a missing or damaged cap has left the flue open. If an animal is alive in the chimney, a wildlife specialist has to remove it first, and some birds are legally protected. If the flue is clear and the cap is the whole problem, a cap installation is the better booking.
Included
- Checking the flue, firebox, damper and smoke chamber for nesting material and debris
- Removing accessible nesting material and debris from the flue and firebox
- Checking what the blocked flue serves, and whether anything else vents into it
- Identifying where the animal or bird got in: an open flue top, a failed cap, a gap at the crown or flashing
- Findings on what was removed, what was blocked, and what should be closed
May be added, estimated separately
- A chimney cap or a repaired chase cover, to close an open flue top
- A chimney inspection, when the blockage may have damaged the liner or the appliance was used while blocked
- A chimney cleaning, where deposits sit under the material removed
- Crown, flashing or masonry repair where the opening is not at the flue top
Not part of this service
- Removing, trapping or relocating a live animal; that is work for a wildlife specialist
- Work on a nest that is legally protected, which has to wait until removal is permitted
- Treating an odor without clearing what causes it
- Repairs to the cap, crown, flashing or liner, which are scoped and estimated on their own
Clearing the flue is half of it
A flue that has been nested in once is a flue that is open to being nested in again. Clearing the material answers the immediate problem: the blockage. The second half is the opening it came through, which is usually the flue top. Ask for both to be identified, and take the two decisions separately.
- The blockage is what can push combustion gases back into the room, so it comes first.
- The opening is usually a missing, bent or rusted cap, but it can be a gap at the crown, the flashing or a chase.
- A live animal, or a nest that is still occupied, is a wildlife specialist's job before it is ours.
- If the appliance was used while the flue was blocked, ask whether the liner should be examined.
Source: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Carbon Monoxide Fact Sheet
What shapes an estimate for this work
Prices are not listed here: an estimate depends on what the visit finds. These are the things that move it.
What moves the estimate
- How far into the flue the material sits, and how easily it is reached
- The number of flues affected
- Whether a wildlife specialist has to attend first
- Roof height and access at the chimney top
- Whether an inspection or cleaning is added to the visit
What your estimate should list
- Which flues are included
- What is removed, and what happens to it
- What is excluded, such as live animal removal or cap and masonry work
- Whether an inspection or cleaning is part of the visit or separate
- Access needs, such as reaching the chimney top
From the first noise to a closed flue top
Request
Send the form on this page with the service, what you have noticed, your fireplace or chimney type, a preferred date and time window, and the service address.
Review and confirmation
We review the address and details you send. Your preferred date and time are subject to confirmation by Idaho Chimney Pros.
Check before clearing
We confirm which appliance the flue serves, look for signs of a live animal, and check whether the nest is still occupied before anything is moved.
Clear the flue
Accessible nesting material and debris are removed from the flue and firebox, and we check what was behind the blockage.
Find the way in
We identify the opening the animal or bird used, which is usually an open or damaged flue top but can be a gap at the crown, the flashing or a chase.
Close it, then use it
Closing the opening is quoted separately and is yours to agree. Once the flue is clear and closed, tell us if the noises, material or odor come back.
Before the visit
- Stop using the fireplace, stove or appliance on that flue until it has been checked.
- Do not light a fire, use smoke, or push anything up the flue to move a nest or an animal.
- Note what you have heard or seen, and when: scratching, chirping, fluttering, material in the firebox, or an odor.
- If you think an animal is alive in the chimney, say so in your request; that changes who has to attend first.
- Check that a carbon monoxide alarm is working on every level, and leave and call 911 if one sounds.
Afterwards, keep
- What was removed, and from which flue
- What the flue serves and whether anything else vents into it
- Where the way in was found
- Any recommended next step, each estimated on its own
Questions about animals and nests in a chimney
General answers. The findings at your home come first.
I can hear something in the chimney. What should I do first?
Stop using the fireplace or appliance on that flue and do not light a fire to move whatever is up there. Keep the damper closed so nothing enters the room, keep pets away from the hearth, and say in your request what you heard and when. If an animal sounds alive, a wildlife specialist has to attend before the flue is cleared.
Can a nest really be dangerous?
A blockage in a flue can stop combustion gases leaving the building, and carbon monoxide has no smell or color. Any appliance on a blocked flue should stay off until it is clear. If a carbon monoxide alarm sounds or anyone feels unwell, leave and call 911.Source: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Carbon Monoxide Fact Sheet
Does a flue that vents a furnace or water heater need this too?
Yes, and it is easier to miss. A flue serving a gas furnace, boiler or water heater can be blocked by a nest without any smoke to warn you, because nothing visible is being burned in the room. Tell us what each flue serves when you send the request.
Will a cap stop it happening again?
A cap sized to the flue and properly fastened closes the usual way in, which is the open flue top. It does not close a gap at the crown, the flashing or a chase enclosure, so the whole top is checked rather than only the opening you can see.
Why does the chimney smell in summer?
Nesting material, droppings and deposits hold moisture, and humid air moving down an unused flue carries the smell into the room. Masking it does not clear it, and a strong odor is a reason to have the flue looked at rather than only aired out.
Where to go next
Request an estimate
Animal and nest removal in Idaho is already selected in the form. Tell us what you have noticed and choose a preferred time.
A request does not confirm an appointment.
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