A squirrel that has fallen down your chimney cannot usually climb back out on its own. Chimney flues are smooth and vertical, and a squirrel cannot get a grip. If you hear scratching and chattering from the flue, it needs a way out, and it needs one soon.
Before you try anything, there is one thing you have to figure out first: is this a single trapped squirrel, or a mother with a nest of babies? That answer changes everything.
First, Check for a Nest
Squirrels raise young in the spring and again in late summer, and a chimney is a common nest site. If there is a nest, you are not dealing with one squirrel; you are dealing with a litter.
- Listen. A trapped adult scrabbles and chatters. Babies make a softer, higher, repetitive squeaking.
- Think about the season. Late spring and late summer are nesting months.
- If there are babies, stop. Do not try to smoke, flush, or pry them out. Call a wildlife rehabilitator who can remove the mother and babies together and keep them from being separated.
If it is a single adult, the methods below will usually work. Try them from least invasive to most.
7 Ways to Get It Out
1. Lower a Knotted Rope
Tie knots along a thick rope and lower it from the top of the chimney so the bottom reaches the firebox. The knots give the squirrel something to grip and climb. Secure the top end and give it a few hours.
2. Lower a Heavy Towel or Blanket
Same idea, more surface to climb. This works especially well for a squirrel that has been in there a while and is worn out.
3. Give It an Exit Into the Room
If the squirrel can reach the firebox, you can open the damper and the fireplace doors, close off the interior doors to the rest of the house, and open a door or window so it has a path outside. This can backfire if the squirrel bolts deeper into the house, so only do it if you are ready to guide it out.
4. Lower a Pipe or Conduit
A length of PVC pipe lowered from the top gives the squirrel a textured tube to climb up the inside of. Angle it so it rests against the flue wall and reaches the bottom.
5. Set a Live Trap on the Roof
If the squirrel can reach the top of the flue, a baited live trap set at the chimney top can catch it. Check the trap frequently, and only relocate it where your state allows.
6. Call a Professional
If it has been stuck for more than a day, you cannot safely get on the roof, or you are dealing with a nest, call a licensed wildlife operator. They have one-way door setups and the experience to not make it worse.
7. Have a One-Way Door Installed
For a chimney that squirrels keep using, a professional can install a one-way door at the top that lets them out but not back in. Once they are out, the door comes off and a permanent cap goes on.
What Not to Do
- Do not light a fire or smoke it out. You will kill the squirrel and the smell of a decomposing animal in the flue is something you do not want to experience.
- Do not use mothballs or ammonia. Toxic and useless in an open flue.
- Do not cap the chimney while the squirrel is inside. That just traps it.
- Do not pour water down. You can drown it and damage the fireplace.
- Do not grab it with bare hands. A scared squirrel bites.
The Permanent Fix
The only thing that actually ends the problem is a chimney cap with fine galvanized mesh, installed properly. It blocks every animal while letting smoke vent. Until that cap is on, the chimney stays an open invitation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not long. A few days at most without water, less in hot weather. The sooner you give it an exit, the better its odds, and the less chance you end up with a dead animal in the flue.
Not from a smooth metal or glazed tile flue. It can climb rough brick or an unlined flue, but modern liners give it nothing to grip. If it has been in there more than a few hours, assume it needs help.
A trapped one may scratch the liner and knock soot loose, but it rarely causes structural damage. The bigger risk is a dead squirrel blocking the flue and causing smoke backup if you light a fire without knowing it is there.
Yes. A properly fitted cap with fine mesh is the single most reliable prevention measure for any home with a fireplace. It is also cheaper than a single emergency call.
Stop and call a wildlife rehabilitator or a licensed operator. Do not try to remove them yourself. The mother will be defensive, and separating the litter usually kills the babies.
The Bottom Line
Figure out first whether it is a single squirrel or a nest. For a single adult, lower a rope or a towel from the top and give it a few hours to climb out. Then put a chimney cap on so it cannot happen again.
Skip the fire and the smoke. The calm, boring approach gets the squirrel out alive and keeps your chimney clean.
