Wells & Sons is also a full- service, masonry contractor company. Services include chimney repair and chimney cleaning. Wells and Sons provides chimney sweep services to the Gilbertsville, Boyertown, Pottstown, Allentown, Reading, and surrouding Pennsylvania areas. Resources: All About Birds, The Humane Society, Old Hat Chimney Service, ( 2) Some homeowners have taken specific measures to add specific chimney caps to protect their home and chimney from water damage but that still allow access to the swifts during their visits. Also, there will only ever be one active nest in any chimney at once. The only downside is the loud sounds made by the babies when they are being fed, but after two weeks they will be old enough to feed themselves. It must be either weighted or wedged in such a way that when the parents land on it to feed their young it does not tip over. ![]() One option is to place the nest in a shallow wicker basket and place it on the smoke shelf just above the damper. Will use claws to cling to the wall of the chimney instead of perching like most birds.Īs the decline of chimneys and other natural habitats have affected the population of chimney swifts, many homeowners have opted to live with chimney swifts for the few months that they are in the area. At the very least, the nest must be replaced above the damper in the lower section of the chimney.Dark, sooty olive plumage above and grayish brown below.17 to 30 g (not that we expect you to weigh it).However, if you want to be sure that one or more have taken up inside your chimney before deciding to take action or not, it is good to know what they look like. It is actually tricky to get a good shot of a stationary chimney swift as they are always in flight unless roosting or nesting. Likewise, as they nest in the spring and summer when fireplaces are not typically in. This is one very good reason why all metal or pre-fabricated chimneys should be capped. Chimney swifts can lay, hatch, and raise their young in about six weeks. Any animal for that matter, will fall to the bottom and be unable to get back out. Metal chimneys are unsuitable and actually dangerous as the chimney swift is unable to latch its claws onto the chimney wall and is more prone to getting stuck. A chimney swift will only nest in a chimney made of stone, firebrick, or masonry flue tiles. The material of the chimney in question is also important. When they nest and breed in rural areas, they are actually more prone to choosing either a hollow tree or cave. Once they have vacated their nests, then it would be wise to call a chimney sweep for an inspection of any damage and to discuss installing a chimney cap to avoid this problem in the future.īesides the obvious point of choosing a chimney for their nesting grounds, chimney swifts tend to prefer more urban and suburban areas where chimneys may be plentiful. The good news is that by fall these birds will leave of their own volition to head to South America for the winter. Even a professional chimney sweep requires both a state and a federally-issued permit to remove them. Under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, it is illegal to remove these specific birds from your chimney. Chimney swift season is among us, and if your chimney is located on the eastern side of the United States and does not have a cap, chances are you might already have a nest.
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