About two weeks ago I blogged about the birds which had decided to make a home in our chimney (Unbeknownst to us, the metal cover had blown off, probably during Hurricane Sandy. It\’s not the kind of thing I would have noticed).
The birds were not a problem. They were sort of nice to listen to, and we figured it was a mother taking care of her young until they were ready to fly, after which they would be gone. Then we would put up a new chimney cover and the issue would be over.
No such luck.
About a week and a half ago, we heard a strange, snorting-like sound in the chimney. No chirping at all.
Fortuitously, we had someone looking at our roof to see if there were any repairs necessary, so while he was doing so we asked him to check things out from the top down.
He saw a raccoon.
I would like to believe the raccoon came after the birds had left. But nature is not that benevolent. I\’m betting that Ms. Raccoon (I know it\’s a she, because there are baby raccoons in there too) discovered the birds and had a tasty meal.
Anyway, we now are dealing with a mother raccoon and her babies.
It was suggested to me that if I soaked a rag in ammonia and opened the flue just enough to stick it in there, the raccoons, which hate ammonia\’s smell every bit as much as most humans do, would leave. But in researching ways of removing them on the internet, I read that ammonia can really damage the animals, especially the babies. I know it\’s ridiculous, given that animals in nature suffer fates a lot worse than that, but I just didn\’t have the heart.
A couple of sites informed me that raccoons dislike loud noise, and enough of it will cause them to leave. Since, both Saturday and Sunday, my wife and I were going to be out of the house from mid-afternoon until well after dark (which is when raccoons are most comfortable moving around), I decided to try this idea.
I retrieved our son\’s old boom box from the garage, wiped several pounds of dust from it, turned the volume to “deafening”, and put on an FM station that plays music which would spontaneously melt the enamel off my teeth. I stuck the boom box into the fireplace both days, hoping it would get them out.
Well, it didn\’t. They\’re still inside the chimney anyway. And now I am haunted by a vision of the little bastards dancing to the music, maybe even snorting along to Axl Rose\’s “lyrics” (if that\’s what they are).
Look, I know this is a relatively short-term proposition. I read that, once the babies are able to get around on their own, and/or once it gets real hot in there as the weather warms, they will be gone. But I would just as soon get them out of there right now. Besides, my wife is not only annoyed by their presence, but a little worried that they might, somehow, figure out a way to get into the house. I keep assuring her that that they are on the other side of a heavy metal cover, which does not have a raccoon-friendly handle, but it doesn\’t seem to be working.
Any ideas? I\’ll consider just about everything short of starting a fire.
