Only in Lubbock, y’all.
Jonnie Hears a Noise!
Tuesday morning started like any other for Jonnie, one of the friendly faces here at the radio station—until she walked into her living room and heard scratching sounds coming from the fireplace. No, it wasn’t the neighbors cat. It was two baby raccoons staring back at her from inside her fireplace!
What Now?
Not knowing what to do, Jonnie did what most of us would—she sent out an all-staff email asking, “Um… what do I do about two raccoons in my chimney?” After a handful of “use dog food to lead them out” replies and a couple of “bring them to the office and name them” jokes, she finally made the right call to a local company that deals with these situations. I think she said it was Bug Tech.
They safely removed the baby raccoons, but the situation definitely sparked some conversation around our office—and a lot of Googling.
So just in case this wild morning ever happens to you, here’s what you should do if a raccoon (or two) shows up in your fireplace.
What Do You Do If Raccoons Are in Your Fireplace?
- Do NOT light a fire. That could seriously injure or kill the animal and leave you with a smoky, smelly mess (and probably a guilty conscience).
- Close the damper to keep the raccoons from entering your home.
- Close off the room if they’ve already made it inside. Keep pets and kids away.
- Call a professional.
- Lubbock Animal Services: (806) 775-2057
- There are many pest companies in town. Google is your friend!
- Or contact a local wildlife rehab center or pest control service that handles humane animal removal.
- Get your chimney checked and capped. Raccoons often enter through chimneys that aren’t properly sealed. A professional can install a secure chimney cap to keep critters out.
Look, raccoons are cute—but only from a distance (and not from inside your living room). Big thanks to Jonnie for turning a potentially chaotic Tuesday into a teachable moment for the rest of us in the Hub City!…