New Squirrel House

[Apple Corps]

Well - come hell or high water, our new squirrel house gets hung in the Redwood by Saturday. I finally engineered a solid method of getting it up there without my falling 20' - at least I hope so.

I have noticed virtually all of the squirrels in our yard do the flea scratch - nothing too frequent. I am going to put some rice straw in the bottom of their new house. It should make for some really nice bedding. Does anyone have any thoughts about putting a flea collar or some flea powder in there to help hold down the flea population? I was thinking of cutting up a flea collar and just laying the strips on the hardware cloth and putting the rice straw on top.

Thanks !

[muffinsquirrel]

I think I would just sprinkle it lightly with 5% Sevin dust. It's cheap, redily available, and does the least harm that I know of. I understand that Adam's KITTEN flea powder can also be used.

Good luck,

muffinsquirrel

[Secret Squirrel]

I use Adams flea powder II for the squirrels. It is recommended for flea and lice and is made from pyrithiens and is safe to use. Sevin is good to like muffinsquirrel suggested.
If the bottom is vented than you may have to dust the box more frequently. I never put the powder directly on them...just a small amout on my hands and rub them together to spread it around, then stroke the squirrel to work it into their fur. That's only because they like the rub down!!!!:wahoo
A friend of mine puts the powder in a paper towel and makes a pouch to place under the bedding. No more fleas!!!
Good luck on hanging the box! My hubby put a 20ft ladder in the back of his pick up to get our nest box way up the tree. He had the nest box & drill while climbing the ladder...I wished I took pics !!!!! However I did have the screws pre incerted and sticking though the back board just enough to bite into the tree and that helped a little. Keep us posted on the progress.

[Apple Corps]

Thanks for the suggestions - I'll act on them for sure! The bottom of the house is screen material so I know I'll have some re-work to keep the flea powder active. The good news is that the roof pulls off easily so the task should not be too difficult. Famous last words :-)

There are a few screws protruding out the back for some additional "bite" just as you mentioned - great minds must think alike. All of this stuff is easy at ground level - a lot more involved at 15' or so up the tree.

This is probably one of those things that gets easier when you have done it several times but has required a lot more thinking / planning than I thought it would at the begining.

That said - the little cuties deserve the best we can do :-)

[Apple Corps]

The Squirrel Chalet is now open for the first residents - WOOT!!!!!

This is probably my grandest expression of OCD - my wife just shakes her head at the over engineering :-) For the techoids - drilled a pilot hole and screwed a 6" stainless steel eye bolt into the tree. The back of the Chalet is 3/4" redwood with a 6" x 14" x 1/2" piece of plywood glued and screwed into the back of the chalet. I then put two stainless steel eye bolts through the back of the Chalet. These eyebolts are 1 3/4" off center - thus you can run a small pipe through the first eyebolt on the Chalet - then through the eyebolt in the tree - then through the other eyebolt on the Chalet. Cap off both ends of the pipe so things can't slip off and you have an over engineered mount :wahoo

We picked up some 5% Sevin and will lightly dust some leaves - put them in the bottom of the box - and fill in with an inch or so of non dusted leaves - Beverly is in charge of bedding and linens.

Over the next week I will fabricate a wooden bottom bracket with a curved cut to match the curvature of the tree - that way the Chalet will not have any horizontal "rock" to it. All of this is suspended from the single 6" stainless steel eyebolt - the tree can grow - bend - curve - or whatever without placing ANY stress on the Chalet.

The best news is that I did not fall out of the tree getting this done :-)

I will take some pics on Sunday - too worn out for now.

Is anybody willing to host the pics for me if I email them to you?

[Squerly]

Sounds like on hell of a squirrel house. Do you put that much effort into everything you do?

Is anybody willing to host the pics for me if I email them to you?Regarding the hosting of the pics, just upload them to the board, you don't need anyone to host them...

[Apple Corps]

Pretty much - that's why I don't get much done :-)

I'll look inti the uploading later Sunday - thanks.

[Apple Corps]

Have not been able to take any pics yet as I have been hobbling around on crutches for a couple of days. Nothing to do with the squirrel Chalet - a joint strain or touch of gout flared up in the left ankle and I sprained my right knee hopping around:nono

Should be back to normal in another couple of days and I'll take the pics.

My wife comes zooming in and alerts me that creatures have taken up residence.

OMG - a pair of doves are on the deck and hauling twigs up there and looking inside the Chalet :ohthedrama :ohthedrama :ohthedrama

This is a squirrel Chalet - what to do:dono

[BuckeyeSqrl]

WOW!! If only my husband were so handy:bowdown

Post pics as soon as you can!!

I have a single nest box in my maple tree and right now it is full of baby fuzzers!! I'm sure the squirrels will take over soon!!

[Squerly]

WOW!! If only my husband were so handy:bowdown
What are you talking about? The guy's a mess... Hell, he's been working on this squirrel lodge longer than it took me to build an entire log home!































Well.... almost as long. :)

[Squirrelly1]

This is a squirrel Chalet - what to do:dono[/QUOTE]

All that work and you forgot to put that little sign at the top of the Chalet that says "For Squirrels Only"! :D

Can't wait to see pics!!!

[Secret Squirrel]

:hissyfit I WANNA SEE SOME PICTURES :hissyfit

[Apple Corps]

Well - I put the crutches down and limped out for this shot. I'll do a few more later but this will give all of you the idea.1367

[Squerly]

Wow.... :wahoo Very cool my man, very cool.

I'll give you an 11 out of 10... :bowdown

[Apple Corps]

squerly - thanks - now if we can just figure out how to encourage the doves to move out and the squirrels to move in :-0 I guess they will sort it out over time :ohthedrama

[Squirrelly1]

Absolutely gorgeous! :thumbsup5

[Momma Squirrel]

WOW I'd live there, just put it further into the mountains and count me in. Great Job!!

[Alaskan Squirrel Cam]

momma squirrel is always speaking of moving to the mountains...

Here is some for her to dream about.

bob

http://www.thesquirrelcam.com

[Momma Squirrel]

Beautiful, beautiful, you are too cruel though. Squerly is dragging his feet, I want to go now forever. You know women impatient very impatient, men slow very slow :crazy