Springtime doesn’t just mean nicer weather & more sunshine - it also means more birds. That also means birds’ nests start popping up and one place they like is your dryer vents! Why is that? Well, they’re enclosed so they’re safe; they’re warm and cozy because they’re connected to your dryer; and they can use any lint that gets in your vents to insulate their nests.
It’s a good place for them but not such a good thing for you if they set up in there. Besides the fact that nests pose a huge fire risk, birds also carry bacteria and parasites that can cause serious illnesses in you and your family. So, how will you know if you have a bird’s nest in your vents? You’ll hear quite a bit of noise - either scratching, scuffling noises as birds move about or chirping of baby birds waiting for mom & dad to get back from hunting. You’ll also likely discover an unpleasant smell hanging around your dryer area due to either bird droppings or because, unfortunately, a bird has died.
Alright, so now you know you definitely have or have recently had birds hanging out in your vents. What do you do now? If it’s a matter of live birds chilling in your space, it’s best to call in the professionals (critter control) so they can safely and humanely remove them. If you discover the birds are no longer there and have simply left their nests behind, then you need to clean out that dryer vent ASAP (and while you can do this yourself, it’s best to leave this to the professionals as well as we can remove every last trace of bird habitat left behind).
Keep an eye (or ear!) open in the upcoming months for any signs of birds building homes in your dryer vents. It may not be the most pleasant experience but the sooner you catch it, the sooner it can be dealt with and with as little muss & fuss as possible. Whatever you do, don’t ignore the situation!
We're the experts for professional Northern NJ Dryer Vent Cleaning & repair! Give us a call, so Northern NJ Dryer Vent Wizard can help you save energy, time, and money. Some of the towns we service include Bergen County, NJ Essex County, NJ Passaic County, NJ Morris County, NJ Ramsey, NJ and the surrounding NY Metro areas!