jenny_lee•14d agoProlific Poster

Got chased by a squirrel in a Victorian home in Boston last Tuesday.

I was sweeping a chimney in this old Victorian over near Beacon Hill, nice place but the flue was packed with years of creosote. So I'm up on the roof, running my brush down, and I hear this scratching getting louder. Next thing I know, a squirrel shoots out of the chimney right past my face and lands on the ladder. I screamed like a kid, nearly fell off the roof. The homeowner came running out thinking I was hurt, but I was just standing there pointing at this angry squirrel chattering at me from the gutter. Turns out they'd had a nest in the top of the flue for months, and my brush pushed it loose. Now I always carry a camera scope to check for critters before I start. Anybody else ever had an animal surprise them mid-job?

3 comments

3 Comments

troychen14d ago

Did you check the chimney cap before you started?

zara_sanchez14d ago

Totally feel you on this one, @troychen. That's a super important step a lot of people skip and it always comes back to bite them. The chimney cap is basically the first line of defense against everything getting inside and causing problems.

evan_davis14d agoMost Upvoted

Scratching getting louder" - yeah no kidding. Bet that squirrel was just as surprised as you. At least you didn't end up with a fistful of angry rodent in your face mid-sweep. That's a hard pass from me. I'll take a room full of screaming 8th graders over one pissed off squirrel any day. At least kids don't usually try to bite. Usually.