Nest Box release location alternative

[Nukedpenguin]

My 3 grey squirrels are near release, but the trees in my yard don't seem like very suitable places for their boxes. I was wondering if it is possible to create an artificial tree for them? I propose a 16 ft post put 4 ft into the ground with cement, and thick dowel rods sticking out from many places up and down the post for footing, and also so metal mesh strips on a couple sides of the post going from top to bottom, with lots of fresh pine branches everywhere securely attached for cover. If this is not feasible I will try to manage to put them into a nearby tree. What are the qualities of a decent tree for them to be in?

[Spanky]

My 3 grey squirrels are near release, but the trees in my yard don't seem like very suitable places for their boxes. I was wondering if it is possible to create an artificial tree for them? I propose a 16 ft post put 4 ft into the ground with cement, and thick dowel rods sticking out from many places up and down the post for footing, and also so metal mesh strips on a couple sides of the post going from top to bottom, with lots of fresh pine branches everywhere securely attached for cover. If this is not feasible I will try to manage to put them into a nearby tree. What are the qualities of a decent tree for them to be in?

Preferably you want to place a nest box in a tree that is close to other trees... where the branches intertwine so they can readily travel tree to tree way above the ground. Greys are tree (and not ground) squirrels after all! Squirrels do not like climbing up the tree in which their nest is in... they almost always climbs a neighboring tree and navigate through the branches to the tree where their nest is located. Climbing up and down the tree truck where their nest is located just leaves a road-map for predators to follow. I'd also think 12 feet up is a bare minimum, and their not being able to retreat / flee "up" from a next box 12 feet atop a pole is not a home they would use.

What is it about the tree in the yard that make them poor candidates?

[Nukedpenguin]

We really only have 3 trees in our yard, 1 of the trees has no other trees around it, and is where we feed all of the wild birds and squirrels. The other tree has a lot of squirrel nests in it already, and I once saw an owl swoop into it at night, but it does have a smaller tree right next to it. The last tree has some honeysuckle next to it but there is a lot of trash just rusting mixed in with the leaves and dirt underneath it from the previous owners/neighbors of the house.

[MArehabber]

We really only have 3 trees in our yard, 1 of the trees has no other trees around it, and is where we feed all of the wild birds and squirrels. The other tree has a lot of squirrel nests in it already, and I once saw an owl swoop into it at night, but it does have a smaller tree right next to it. The last tree has some honeysuckle next to it but there is a lot of trash just rusting mixed in with the leaves and dirt underneath it from the previous owners/neighbors of the house.

If you only have 3 trees in your yard, it may not be a suitable release site for gray squirrels. Gray squirrels need to live in an area with many large trees so they can build nests and jump from tree to tree. Besides the three trees in your yard, how many other trees are in your neighborhood? Do you have any woods close to your yard?

[Nukedpenguin]

This morning, I released Spike, one of my squirrels, put his box in a tree as high as the ladder would allow. Then I showed him where I put it, and he put his paws on the ledge and smelled it. He showed no interest in where we put it and instead he climbed to the tippy top of the tree playing and having the time of his life, I was happy for him, but then I see a large dark mass creeping up into a cluster of leaves near the top around where Spike was. Just for a couple moments I thought it was 2 big squirrels following each other, but this was actually a raccoon size. I freaked out and called my parents to come outside and they bring a sling shot, bb gun, and a crossbow, after 10 shots of the slingshot it broke, but no arrows or bbs were fired. We called spike down nicely and he mozied his way down slowly but first he went pretty much into the same cluster of leaves that we saw the raccoon go into. When he came down I spent the whole day with him outside except for a half hour nap. We didn't encourage him to go back into the tree, and we took the his box out before bed so it could go back in his cage. Spike is sleeping in his cage tonight, not as planned. I plan on letting him out in the morning, but I still am trying to find a better tree to put the boxes in. There area couple trees in neighbors yards but I just don't think we would be allowed to put their boxes in those trees. There isn't a very close by wooded area either. My neighbor has 1 large tree in her backyard, and earlier this year every squirrel was chittering and chattering from all around, then roughly 17 squirrels grouped up near each other in that tree.