What would you do? ....

PixelRabbit · Apr 1, 2014

Ok this should be fun lol

Yesterday I heard some scratching on metal but couldn't figure out where it was coming from. Today I tracked it down....

It is coming from the stovepipe of an old stove in the basement that isn't in use (it used to heat the water for the hot tub)

Now the easy solution is to put the three cats down there, open the pipe and let them figure it out, that would work... ish.

I'm not really into that solution though, I have no clue what it is in there, squirrel? rat? bird? ... sounds like a rodent to me .... what is it and what would you do?????

(ps. Mr. Rabbit won't be home from work until 9pm so I'm flying solo with the cats till then lol)

https://flic.kr/p/mErcoB

Derrel · Apr 1, 2014

Well...I would ready a standard household broom and a snow-shovel or other square-shaped shovel and remove the stovepipe and get ready for a bat, which is what I think it is.

If you can somehow "cap" one end temporarily you can probably keep a rodent down at the one end...but there will be two open ends possibly, so...

If it's a bat, it'll probably fly right out. Which is where the broom comes in. If it's a rat, then the shovel is the better lens...er, I mean tool.

I would be tempted to have two people handy for this task, unless you want some excitement. Then go it alone.

Dagwood56 · Apr 1, 2014

My neighbor had a small squirrel get into their stove pipe once, I think they used an animal carrier somehow and shoved it over the pipe as it was removed - squirrel ran into carrier they slammed door and released squirrel outside. Good luck!

PixelRabbit · Apr 1, 2014

Taking both under consideration

Last year we had a starling come down the main stovepipe, now THAT was fun (and quite possibly what is in the pipe again), Mr Rabbit undid the pipe and held his hand under it (lol I know but it happened so fast I couldn't stop him lol) the bird quickly dropped onto his hand and he squeaked and dropped it lol

Well the main floor of our house is pretty much a wall of windows on the one side and the poor bird just kept flying into them

He soon tired, I gently tossed a towel over it and scooped it up, took it outside and after a short rest it took off.

I'm trying to imagine this in the basement... with one person... I dunno! lol Mind you... waiting for Mr Rabbit means letting whatever it is go in the dark... is that a fair start for it? ... will it make it to morning? .... will it make it to tonight? .... argh! decisions decisions decisions!!

Braineack · Apr 1, 2014

aw! unscrew it it opne it up, let whatever it is out. it wont hurt you.

Steve5D · Apr 1, 2014

Got any M-80's?

Whatever's in there is gonna' be pissed that it hasn't been able to get out. A shovel's not gonna' be worth a damn if you're swinging it as you're running away, which is what you will be doing.

You want to pull a carcass out of there, not a living animal...

oldhippy · Apr 1, 2014

Be sure to wear Depends

sm4him · Apr 1, 2014

Have you ever read the Stephen King book, "IT?" :lmao:

No way I'd be opening that pipe to let whatever scary minion of Hades is in there out!!

LOL. Seriously, I agree with Steve. I'd wait till you DON'T hear the scratching anymore and then I'd go hunting for the carcass. Well, no, that's not exactly true. Then I'd send MR. Rabbit hunting for the carcass.

PixelRabbit · Apr 1, 2014

Ha! Ok I just couldn't leave it, I think my tapping on the pipe earlier made it more eager for escape....

I went down with screwdriver and ipod in hand... opened the basement door....unscrewed the pipe... TRIED to run the ipod but alas I suck lol You DO get a good shot of my thumb and my laundry though!

It was a Starling, you get a quick look at it flying through the bright light it was headed for lol... PHEW! It backed up into the pipe until I got that piece off, peeked out and looked at me and took off for the light.

Braineack · Apr 1, 2014

you didnt even die!

Ron Evers · Apr 1, 2014

Had that several times in the basement stove, always Starlings. They go down to make nests that if not stopped early can be a chore to clear out. Since we have a patio door in that room I just open it & take the pipe apart & let the bird fly out.

You need to get to a TSC store & get caps to stop them as you see here in the two outside flues. We still have them enter the fireplace flue in the centre unless I wrap it in chicken wire @ the end of the heating season.

PixelRabbit · Apr 1, 2014

Braineack, it was close! He had a mean look in his eye lol

Ron, yes, we wired them last year after the first starling incident but alas haven't gotten them back up yet this year, it has now made it to the top of Mr Rabbit's bunnydo list lol