Expert: James Ball - 5/25/2010

Question
QUESTION: Hi, we moved into a town home last year with a gas fireplace and found some droppings on top of the fireplace box. We had a pest control person come in to check and he just dropped bags of poison around the box. After almost a year we found the bags still in tact and some new droppings on top of the box right around where the chimney meets the box. We think that the droppings are coming from the chimney - the foil lining/insulation around the chimney is torn in some places, particularly at the back. How do we check inside the chimney for rodents? There is a vent outside - could they be coming in from there? We have never seen anything inside the house and our neighbors on both sides has never has any rodent problem so we think the problem is isolated to the fireplace.

ANSWER: Hello Cheryl, they might be getting in from out side set up a trap out side the the out side vent (and any other holes 1/4" size or bigger) be sure to look all around and do not use poison this will leave dead animals in the walls and such that could smell.
James

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi James,
Thanks for your response. The pest control person has already set up a trap outside but it did not catch any. Who do we call if we want to check inside the chimney, or is this something we can do ourselves? Do gas fireplaces have a wall or something around it to keep them from going through our walls and into the rest of the house?

Answer
Welcome back Cheryl, you could start opening up the wall around the fireplace, not sure you will find any thing (they will leave when they hear you breaking through) then patch holes after, or hire some one to do that.
there can be lots of places they can get into behind a fireplace and in the chase (area around the chimney and firebox)
James