How To Stop Birds
Getting Into Chimney

By Richard Worden

Birds enjoy squeezing into tiny, cozy spaces to make their nests—chimneys are no exception since they provide shelter, warmth, and safety to birds, especially during the chilly winter. However, birds in your chimney are an issue because having them around threatens your home’s well-being and your family’s safety. So you might be wondering precisely how to stop birds getting into chimneys.

You can stop birds from getting into chimneys by installing a chimney cap, chase cover, and bird spikes. You can also employ bird deterrents, such as sprays, decoys, and gels, to shoo away your feathered foes. Have your chimney regularly inspected to ensure it is bird-proof all year round.

In this article, we will talk about different ways to stop birds getting into chimneys, including using physical barriers to keep them out. I will also offer some leads on effective and safe bird deterrents; then, we will discuss why it is unsafe to have birds flitting about your chimney. Let’s begin!

1. Install a Chimney Cap To Prevent Birds in the Chimney

This product is called a chimney cover, and this simple gadget is the first step to stopping birds from getting into your chimney. It effectively prevents birds, as well as other animals, from getting near your chimney.

Among the bird activities it can block are:

• Building nests on top of your chimney
• Building nests inside your chimney
• Going down your chimney
• Getting trapped inside your chimney

Chimney caps are installed right above the chimney to protect the flue — the long duct that runs from the base of your chimney up through your roof — from the elements and wildlife. It looks like a roof or canopy sitting above your vent.

Chimney caps provide benefits such as the following:

• Reduces the risk of fires getting out of control
• Protects your roof from fiery embers and sparks
• It prevents rainwater from going down your chimney
• Stops other animals, such as squirrels, from going down your chimney
• It helps make your chimney look more pleasant
  
  

2. Install a Chase Cover To Repel Birds

The chase cover fits over the flue and works hand in hand with the chimney cap to stop birds from getting into your chimney. This barrier prevents animals, birds, and water from getting into vents. 

However, chase covers can be tricky because you need to install them correctly since they can be prone to rust. Here are some essential points to consider:

• Proper fit: A chase cover must fit appropriately over the chimney top to prevent rainwater and snow from entering. Otherwise, water might seep in, promote the development of rust, and cause damage to other parts of your chimney. 
• Slightly convex: An effective chase cover must round slightly outward to prevent water from leaking into the chimney. One that is too flat or concave might cause water to pool on the surface. 
• It works better when paired with a chimney cap: A chase cover needs help to do all the work and requires the protection of a chimney cap to function correctly. how to stop birds getting into chimney
  

3. Affix Bird Spikes To Deter Birds From Your Chimney

Bird spikes are proven reliable solutions to stop birds getting into chimneys. There are plastic and metal bird spikes, but I prefer the plastic ones since you can bend them to conform to various shapes. Bird spikes do not harm or kill birds since the tips aren’t sharp enough to cause any harm. They function best with other deterrents, such as chimney caps and deterrent gels.

Installing bird spikes on your chimney will prevent birds from perching simply because they can’t. The short spacing between the spikes will prevent them from doing so. Note that bird spikes generally work only against larger birds, like pigeons. 

Small species, like sparrows, can perch between the spikes or may even use them as perches or foundations for their nests. 

4. Have Your Chimney Inspected and Cleaned Yearly

This process is the best way to ensure that birds cannot gain access to your chimney. Hire professionals to check your flue, chimney cap, and chimney chase cover. Take this opportunity, as well, to make sure that no birds are inhabiting or currently stuck in your chimney. 

It isn’t always easy to tell if you have a bird situation because not all these feathered creatures can create a stir that is noticeable enough to be bothersome. Experts recommend checking your chimney yearly to ensure it is free of unwanted tenants.

Here are some telltale signs that birds have gotten inside your chimney (keep in mind that the absence of these signs does not always guarantee that you don’t have feathered friends in there):

• Chirping: If you detect varying degrees of chirping, it’s likely that a romantic couple has made a home in your chimney and has recently welcomed their brood.  how to stop birds getting into chimney
• Scratching and rustling: These sounds may come from their sharp claws as they move about inside your chimney. These may also signal that birds are constructing a nest inside your chimney.
• Flapping: This sound usually indicates that the bird inside your chimney doesn’t want to be there and is attempting to escape. 
  
  

Best Bird Deterrents for Chimneys

Aside from the strategies discussed above, you can also turn to more aggressive methods to stop birds from getting into your chimney. Bird deterrents can be used hand in hand with those tried and tested strategies to help keep your chimney bird-proof. 

Here are some fail-safe tactics to consider:

• Resort to trickery. Spook birds away by stationing a predator decoy like the Lubatis Owl Decoy (available on Amazon.com) beside your chimney. One that has a motion detector that sets off its flashing eyes and ominous noises will certainly send birds flapping their way back to safety. 
• Target birds’ keen sense of smell. A good bird repellent gel like the Bird-X 54-1 Proof Bird Repellent Gel (available on Amazon.com) carries a scent that birds can’t stand. This product can keep your feathered friends off your chimney when you apply it regularly and with other bird deterrent strategies.   
• Spray them away. A non-toxic, all-natural bird repellent spray like the Flock Free Bird Repellent Spray (available on Amazon.com) can effectively and safely shoo away birds while posing no threats to other animals, plants, and humans. It’s a nerve irritant that attacks a bird’s senses. Mix with water, then spray around your chimney using a fogger or powered sprayer. 
• Take the ultrasonic route. A great way to scare birds away is through high-frequency ultrasonic sounds like the Bird-X Balcony Ultrasonic Bird Repeller (available on Amazon.com). These won’t harm birds and are great to use around your home because humans generally cannot detect the noise. 
  
  

Why Having Birds in Your Chimney Is Dangerous

Whether they’ve built a nest inside your chimney, fallen in, or are currently stuck, having birds in your chimney is never a good idea. It may pose risks and dangers to your home and loved ones.

Some hazards of birds in the chimney include the following:

• Pests: Birds carry mites, fleas, and ticks. These may travel from the birds in your chimney straight into your home.  
• Fume build-up: Birds and their nests may block your chimney opening, causing harmful fumes, mainly carbon monoxide. 
• Roasted birds: Any feathered creature inside your chimney will roast when you start a fire. Nobody will appreciate the smell of burnt feathers—or the death of the poor feathered creatures.  
• Smoke backfires: A plugged-up chimney will cause toxic smoke from a fire to flow back into your home.
• Fire hazard: Anything that hinders the natural behavior of a fire in your chimney increases your home’s fire risk. Furthermore, birds typically make nests out of dry materials, which can quickly ignite fires. 
• Histoplasmosis: This is an airborne disease caused by bird poop. It’s not entirely fatal, but it can cause severe complications in young children, the elderly, and those who are immunocompromised. 
• Psittacosis: This condition is an airborne disease caused by feathers and dried bird droppings. Like Histoplasmosis, it isn’t necessarily fatal, but those with weak immunity are more susceptible to severe symptoms.
  
  

How To Stop Birds Getting Into Chimney
...Final Thoughts

If you burn your fireplace often, or even once in awhile, birds can enter and nest in your chimney without even making a sound, and thus catch you by surprise when you start up a fire.

That's why checking your chimney at least once a year is a wise idea, even if you have the safety features listed above in place. Doing this will allow you to see if these add-ons to your chimney are still in good repair.
 

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Hi! I'm Richard Worden, the author and founder of We Know Birds.

Over 20 years ago I developed a keen interest in birds and birdwatching, and it has been my passion ever since. I am committed to spreading useful knowledge about birds to others so we might all enjoy them to the fullest.

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