Content updated: July 24, 2026

Key takeaways

  • Rodents can get into your home through your chimney or via cracks or holes in your mortar, whether you have a gas or wood-burning fireplace.
  • Adding a chimney cap can help keep rodents from climbing into your chimney.
  • To help prevent rodents in your chimney, keep tree limbs trimmed back from your house, don’t put garden trellises and shrubs near the foundation, keep firewood and other yard debris away from the house, and seal any gaps or holes around window sills, under doors, and around pipes.
  • To help make your home less appealing to rodents, seal all food in airtight containers, clean pet food bowls every night, make sure trash cans are sealed, vacuum and mop floors regularly, and wipe down all food prep and serving surfaces after every meal.

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How to help keep rodents out of your fireplace

Tips for trying to make your home less attractive to rodents

Picture this: You’re getting ready to snuggle up on the couch and binge-watch your favorite show. You head over to the fireplace to turn the gas logs on for some extra ambiance when a rodent runs across your hearth. Your evening’s probably shot, huh?

Well, like it or not, there is a chance of finding a rodent, whether it be a rat, squirrel or mouse, in your fireplace. The cooler temperatures of autumn and winter mean rodents may seek food, warmth and shelter in your home. And you might be surprised to learn they can find access points through your chimney or via cracks or holes in your mortar, whether you have a gas or wood-burning fireplace.

Learn what you can do to try to keep these rodents out, as well as who to call if you find rodents in your chimney.

Related > Will Hibernating Rodents Move into Your Walls?

How to Help Keep Rodents Out of Your Fireplace

There are things like chimney caps that homeowners can use to help make their chimney and fireplace less accessible to rodents. However, the best way to help keep rodents out of your fireplace is to keep them out of your home in the first place. The help of a trained wildlife control professional can really come in handy here.

With Terminix’s rodent and wildlife services, a professional will examine your home from attic to crawl space to find any and all vulnerable areas where rodents can find their way in and then recommend a customized plan to help secure those points of entry.

Tips for Trying to Make Your Home Less Attractive to Rodents

There are also some things you can do to help make your home less attractive to rodents, like:

  1. Keeping tree limbs and ivy trimmed back from your house to help eliminate entry points.
  2. Avoiding trellises and not planting shrubs or other greenery too close to your foundation.
  3. Check around window sills, under doors and around pipes for gaps and seal those gaps that you find
  4. Storing firewood or stacks of debris far away from your home.
  5. Sealing food in airtight containers. Pet food, too.
  6. Picking up pet food and water at night, if possible, indoors and out.
  7. Making sure indoor and outdoor trash cans are tightly sealed.
  8. Vacuuming and mopping regularly, especially in areas of the home where food is prone to being spilled.
  9. Wiping down counters, tables and stovetops after meals, making certain to clear crumbs out from under toaster ovens and similar appliances.

With some due diligence, you may not ever have to worry about seeing a mouse scurry out of your fireplace. If you do, however, you might want to consult a professional pest control service to make sure you don’t have an infestation on your hands. A trained Terminix® technician can evaluate your situation and customize a prevention and treatment plan to fit your needs. Call or schedule for your free inspection today.