That time a squirrel nest in a Portland flue almost got me

I was cleaning a chimney on a house in the Laurelhurst area and found a huge squirrel nest blocking the whole thing. My old boss always said to just poke it down, but this one was packed tight with leaves and junk. I ended up using a shop vac with a long hose from the top to suck it all out piece by piece, took about an hour. Anyone have a better method for a nest that's really wedged in there?

3 comments

3 Comments

fiona_clark3mo ago

Honestly that shop vac method sounds way smarter than my usual plan, which is basically just to panic.

hollym823mo ago

Wait, you mean you don't even have a shop vac? I just assumed everyone had one by now. My whole life is built around having one handy for messes. The panic plan sounds way too stressful to live with.

patp791mo ago

Isn't it wild how some things just become essential and you can't imagine life without them? I'm totally with you on the shop vac thing. I remember the first time I borrowed a neighbor's for a big spill and honestly, it was like magic. Now I have two, one in the garage and one in the house, because why wouldn't you? The panic plan sounds like a recipe for a lot of floor scrubbing and regret. I'd rather just have the thing that sucks up the mess in five seconds flat, no stress involved.