Yesterday I was sitting in our living room reading while Max was watching "Cars" when I heard a cooing sound coming from our fireplace. I thought, "Oh great, we've had a bird fall into the chimney." We had a bird fall into our other chimney last year and it was a pain, but I figured since that chimney goes to a wood burning stove and this one goes to a fireplace this time it would be easier to get out.
After the kids went to bed, Jeff opened up the damper to get the bird out and saw a raccoon staring back at him. Apparently the sound I heard wasn't a bird but a raccoon who had decided that our chimney would make a great little home. I immediately went into panic mode and started scouring the internet for information on raccoons living in chimneys. While Jeff sat downstairs watching TV, I was reading about raccoons and how they can have rabies or bring fleas into your home and how they use your chimney as a bathroom, basically working myself up into a frenzy. (Of course, Jeff just sat there amused by my rantings about how we had to get that thing OUT OF HERE, and how it was going to give my babies fleas, etc.) I read on about eight different web sites that you should put a stereo turned all the way up in the fireplace and then put a piece of plywood in front of it. This is supposed to make the raccoon decide that this isn't a good place for it to live and hopefully it will move out. We put the stereo in and went to bed.
Eight o-clock on the dot this morning I was on the phone with animal control and a chimney sweep, and while I'm talking to the chimney sweep he tells me that the cooing sound I heard was raccoon babies. That's right, BABIES!!! He tells me to leave the stereo on all day, really loud, and hope that the raccoon moves out tonight, with her babies. He's coming tomorrow morning to see if they're gone, remove them if they're not, and sweep and cap both of our chimneys. In the meantime, I'm about ready to move out myself, the music is driving me that crazy. Max on the other hand thinks it's the funnest thing ever and wants to spend every minute in the living room dancing. (He gets his dancing skills from his dad.) ;)
7 comments:
Augh! I'd be running in circles screaming, "What do I do? What do I do?" At least you have the wherewithall (that word sure doesn't look right)to get informed and take care of it. Good luck!
I'm glad you got the video to work. Max is a pretty smooth dancer, just like Jeff. :) I cannot believe you have a raccoon and its babies living in your chimney! I had no idea they even did that. You must do an update tomorrow and let us know if the raccoons decided to move out.
Um yeah... I don't like even the thought of any little critters in my house. You are tougher than me. I would be out the door. Max is hilarious. I think he is a good dancer. Good luck getting rid of the racoon.
So, I am very glad you did a post on your raccoon problem. I checked your blog specifically today to see if you did a post about them. BECAUSE, last night I kept dreaming about raccoons running into my house (through open doors), it was a horrible dream. I know my dream was because yesterday, we were talking about your visiting raccoons. Hope the problem is remedied soon.
PS-That video of Max dancing is AWESOME! So, so cute!
It looks like Max even has a little bit of rhythym! At least someone is enjoying the crazy music. I am so sorry about your visitors. Hopefully the weather will cooperate so you can get those guys out of there soon!
That is the craziest thing I've ever heard. Raccoons in the chimney. Who would have guessed? I LOVE the video of Max dancing (maybe it does run in the family?). I hope that you will someday look back on it on - and smile!
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