At Coopertown Services, we are known for caring for the chimneys are fireplaces of our customers. But did you know we are also nationally certified wildlife removal experts?

Spring in middle Tennessee is a time of growth. As grass grows green again, trees bud, and flowers bloom, there is also an influx of baby animals. Unfortunately, many animal mothers try to make their nests in roofs, attics, and chimneys. This can cause damage to your home – as well as creating a serious safety hazard.

Animal Removal Services - Memphis TN - Coopertown ServicesCommon animals in middle Tennessee

Middle Tennessee is home to a host of wildlife! While this makes for excellent bird watching, it also significantly increases the chances of animals finding their way into your home. The following are some of the most common types of animals we find when doing wildlife removal.

Bats: While your home may not have a belfry, it is possible to have bats in the chimney! Bats are rarely solitary creatures; if one bat is seen entering or exiting the chimney, there is a significant chance there is a larger colony nesting inside. The most common way to check for bats is to watch the chimney at dusk. As the sun sets, bats will leave to find food and water.
Birds: Birds of all kind love nesting in chimneys; chimney swifts were named because of their preference to build nests in chimneys! Small swifts and swallows can squeeze their way through tiny holes in the metal of a chimney cap. Likewise, migrating birds are known to return to the same nesting sites each year, making it doubly important to find and repair their way in.
Raccoons: Racoons are the largest animals that sneak their ways into attics and chimneys – and can be the most difficult to keep out. Raccoons have been known to bite, claw, and scratch through flimsy metal, wood, or even masonry in order to gain access to a home. Raccoons have been known to pass the smoke shelf in the chimney, which risks them gaining entry to the rest of your home if the damper and fireplace doors are not closed.
Squirrels: While squirrels sometimes fall into uncapped chimneys, they love nesting in attics. This is because many roofs are easily accessible through nearby trees; likewise, there are plenty of materials available in the attic, like insulation, with which to build their nests. In addition to the damage they can cause to build materials, squirrels are known to chew through wiring, which can lead to electrical fires.
Roof rats: Roof rats, also known as black or ship rats, are named because of their tendencies to nest in the upper part of buildings. In addition to carrying fleas and ticks, rats are a common carrier of many diseases. Like squirrels, roof rats prefer nesting in attics; damaged electrical wiring is a common sign of a roof rat infestation.

How animals get in

There are a number of different ways that animals can enter a home. One of the primary ways animals enter a chimney is through a damaged chimney cap – or a home where the chimney cap is missing entirely. Birds, bats, and raccoons are particularly fond of nesting in chimneys.

Attics are another area of the home where wildlife is usually found. Protected, quiet, and free from people, many small mammals will make their nests in attics whenever possible. Unscreened vents, windows, damaged portions of the roof, and gables are all common points of entry into the attic.

The most common ways to discover the presence of animals in the chimney or attic is through sound and smell. Scratching or clawing, scurrying, or even loud thuds or bangs from above can all indicate the presence of an animal in your home. Likewise, animal droppings can create an extremely unpleasant sour odor that can quickly permeate throughout the entire home.

Once the presence of an animal is suspected, it is important to act quickly. Having the animals removed as quickly as possible reduces the risk of harm to the animals themselves – and reduces the amount of damage they can do to your home.

The dangers of animals in the attic

While animals in the chimney can cause significant damage to the fireplace system, the presence of animals in the chimney is a much more serious risk. Squirrels and roof rats nesting in the attic enjoy the “food sources” around them – namely insulation and electrical wires.

Animals in the attic can quickly create thousands of dollars in damage to electrical wiring – and significantly increase the risk of electrical fire. It is estimated that 8% of electrical fires are caused by animals chewing electrical wires.

In addition to the serious damage they can do to electrical wiring, wild animals are known carriers of disease. The presence of animals in either the chimney or attic can expose your family to fleas, ticks, and other animal-carried diseases.

The Coopertown Services animal removal plan

Coopertown Services is proud to be the oldest and most trusted name in Wildlife control and rat control in Memphis. We have been serving the city of Memphis and the surrounding communities for over 35 years. Our Technicians are licensed, bonded, certified by the National Wildlife Control Operators Association, and have permits from the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency. When dealing with a wildlife infestation our team of highly trained professionals:

  • Find the animals
  • Humanely remove the animals
  • Prevent them from coming back

Whether animals have infiltrated your chimney or attic, don’t delay; contact the wildlife removal experts at Coopertown Services today! Our trained staff will safely and humanely remove the animals and secure the house so they don’t come back. For more information on wildlife removal or to schedule your next appointment contact us today.