Fluffs for Squirrels in Wild: Blizzard Fleece Cut to What Size?

[Squeekhart]

Hi! I am new, but an avid reader of squirrelcare. Today is the 24-hour window where the sun is out, just before a cold front and snow. Across my city street is a small park of squirrels with limited resources. The one tiniest squirrel, born in September and orphaned in November, has tugged my heartstrings. Yesterday, he was the only one with wet fur. And he has now pulled out most of his tail furs.

I read and read, and rushed to buy fiberfill and blizzard fleece. I am about to go out with fiberfill fluffs and I cut up little 2-inch squares of blizzard fleece as well.

Is there a better or optimal size for the blizzard fleece? Is it best to only give them fiberfill? We... get pretty bad wind and freezing rain and windchills here. The bark is mostly gone from the trees and we are only heading into "real" winter now.

I only wish to help them stay warm and dry, especially the wee one. It seems quite stressful to be a squirrel in this cement city. Their natural resources seem limited. When I saw wet fur, I wanted to add good nesting materials for them to incorporate. The squirrels sort of have friended me. I feed them walnuts and avocado bites and pomegranate bits.

[cava]

Hi there and welcome to TSB! I just happened to hop on and see your post. I think it's very kind of you to put out bedding for the squirrels. If you want, you can also make houses and hang them, which would ensure protection from the wind.

I know my squirrels would like polyfil any day of the week, but there are some warnings on the site about it's use, and as for fleece, I read a thread that said there were ants in the box that had fleece but not in the other boxes.

I look forward to hearing other opinions.

[Squeekhart]

I appreciate all seasoned input, so much thanks.

If it were up to me, I would hang 2 nest boxes from every tree. But this is a community property, and not everyone in my neighborhood feels the way I do about squirrels. I am afraid if I write to the local community board at the location, about purchasing and hanging a few nest boxes, I will get a letter back saying that not everyone feels the way I do about squirrels, and that they don't want to encourage even more to thrive. Someone did take my tiny dish away that I tucked under a bush and would fill with avocado bites.


On a happier note, a lady in my elevator saw me clutching a giant bag of fiberfill last night. She hoped I would enjoy my project. I told her she might not appreciate my project. She said, As long as it doesn't involve taxiderming some poor little animal.

I was horrified, and laughed, and said, Well then maybe you will appreciate my project. I bought this to help the squirrels in the park across the street add warmth to their nests for the oncoming cold front.

She was delighted. So at least one of my neighbors does not think they are pests. :)

[HRT4SQRLS]

Squeekhart, thanks for helping the squirrels, especially the tiny one. Here are my thoughts. There have been warning about the polyfill in regards to a tiny fiber getting wrapped around a limb and cutting off circulation. There was a tiny flyer that lost an arm from this BUT I will add that this is a rare event and not common. We used polyfill in outside boxes for years and I'm only aware of this case. I'm sure there are a few others. Everything in life is risk vs benefit. Let's face it, we put ourselves at risk every time we get in our car but the benefits far outweigh the risks so we do it every day. In this case I feel the benefits of the warmth provided by the polyfill far outweighs the risk. I would give them the polyfill. Squirrels LOVE it. Put it in the fork of a tree and you will see squirrels hauling polyfill everywhere. :grin2 They immediately recognize its benefit and start taking it to their nest right away.

The positive thing about the polyfill is that it won't hold moisture. If it gets wet it will dry out. That's not true of the fleece. When it gets wet it holds moisture, moisture causes mold and also draws carpenter ants. My nest boxes became unusable because I put some fleece in them. They were FULL of ants and the squirrels had to move out. SOOO, I wouldn't use fleece but I would use the polyfill because I think the benefit far outweighs the risk.

Providing something warm for this little squirrel might be they difference between life and death. I would use the polyfill in this case.

[CritterMom]

Squeekhart, thanks for helping the squirrels, especially the tiny one. Here are my thoughts. There have been warning about the polyfill in regards to a tiny fiber getting wrapped around a limb and cutting off circulation. There was a tiny flyer that lost an arm from this BUT I will add that this is a rare event and not common. We used polyfill in outside boxes for years and I'm only aware of this case. I'm sure there are a few others. Everything in life is risk vs benefit. Let's face it, we put ourselves at risk every time we get in our car but the benefits far outweigh the risks so we do it every day. In this case I feel the benefits of the warmth provided by the polyfill far outweighs the risk. I would give them the polyfill. Squirrels LOVE it. Put it in the fork of a tree and you will see squirrels hauling polyfill everywhere. :grin2 They immediately recognize its benefit and start taking it to their nest right away.

The positive thing about the polyfill is that it won't hold moisture. If it gets wet it will dry out. That's not true of the fleece. When it gets wet it holds moisture, moisture causes mold and also draws carpenter ants. My nest boxes became unusable because I put some fleece in them. They were FULL of ants and the squirrels had to move out. SOOO, I wouldn't use fleece but I would use the polyfill because I think the benefit far outweighs the risk.

Providing something warm for this little squirrel might be they difference between life and death. I would use the polyfill in this case.

You can further mitigate the problems with the fibers by cutting the fiberfil into small pieces which means the fibers will be small too-not big enough to wrap around limbs. A little time consuming but worth the peace of mind.

[Squeekhart]

You can further mitigate the problems with the fibers by cutting the fiberfil into small pieces which means the fibers will be small too-not big enough to wrap around limbs. A little time consuming but worth the peace of mind.

Ooh, I don't mind at all. I feel protective of them. After reading several posts from folks here, I feel I have finally found some kindred spirits. I am always researching to learn what is helpful vs. harmful.