Luckily for homeowners, chimney swifts have an extremely short nesting cycle it takes just six weeks for hatchlings leaving the nest. Chimney swifts are protected under the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which makes it a federal offense to damage or remove chimney swift nests until the hatchlings have left. If the birds in your chimney are found to be chimney swifts, unfortunately, nothing can be done. A chimney repair company can ensure that the chimney cap is secure, and as an added bonus, make sure that every other aspect of the chimney is safe for use as well. To keep swifts from invading your chimney, it is important to have it regularly inspected for damage. Likewise, small holes or breaks in the mesh or wire sides can also allow swifts to squeeze in. Because swifts are so small, a chimney cap that is ill-fitting or has shifted since its initial installation may have a gap big enough for a swift to fit through.
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How to Keep Chimney Swifts Out: Apex Chimney RepairĬhimney swifts almost always enter chimneys through a damaged chimney cap. Since the birds migrate from South America to North America through a wide variety of habitats, they are exposed to a wide range of microorganisms, and can carry a number of foreign bacteria and diseases. To some, these sweet little birds might be worth tolerating for a few weeks-but a chimney swift invasion actually presents a significant danger to human health. If you don’t get a chimney inspection or chimney repair, your chimney may become an annual nest for chimney swifts! Why Chimney Swifts Are Hazardous Since swifts are migratory birds, they often return to the same nesting grounds year after year. The problem still isn’t over, unfortunately. Once swifts have invaded a chimney, the homeowner must tolerate the smell and mess of bird feces and loud, disruptive chirping until they leave in late July. That means that most homeowners don’t notice them until it’s too late. Why You Need to Act QuicklyĬhimney swifts start to enter chimneys in the spring, a time when most people aren’t thinking about lighting a fire. And once you have them, you’re stuck with them: since chimney sweeps are federally protected, it’s illegal to remove them once they’ve settled down. One or two birds wouldn’t be much of a problem, but unfortunately, chimney swifts sleep in massive communal roosts of hundreds or thousands. Like most swifts, these birds spend almost their entire lives in the air, only coming down to briefly nest and then leave again. What Are Chimney Swifts, And Why Are They Such a Problem?Ĭhimney swifts are small, cigar-shaped birds with long, slender wings. Here are some tips for keeping chimney swifts at bay. The very worst offender is probably the chimney swift, who can occupy chimneys in the hundreds or thousands. One place you really don’t want birds nesting? In your chimney. Now that it’s spring, you’ve probably noticed birds building nests in trees, bushes, empty mailboxes, and pretty much any other spot they can find.
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