Update: Found a huge raccoon nest in a chimney in Asheville last month

I was on a standard cleaning job in an older house near downtown Asheville. When I dropped my camera down the flue, I saw a solid mass of sticks and leaves about four feet down. The homeowner said they hadn't used the fireplace in over two years. It took me and my partner almost three hours to safely clear it all out, and we found baby raccoon bones in the mix. The damper was completely rusted shut from all the moisture. We had to use a lot of enzyme cleaner to get the smell out. Has anyone else dealt with a nest this big, and what's your go-to method for the cleanup after? I'm worried about parasites.

2 comments

2 Comments

claire_hayes357d ago

Four hours for a pile of sticks seems like a lot, doesn't it? Baby bones are grim but how do you even know they were raccoons? That enzyme cleaner stuff is pretty strong, so what's left to worry about with parasites after that? Maybe the smell just got to you and made it seem worse than it was.

olivers287d ago

My garage had a dead possum last spring and the smell stuck around for days even after cleaning. Enzyme cleaner helps but it can't get deep into porous concrete or wood where fluids soak in. I ended up renting a steam cleaner to really kill the smell and any leftover germs.