Newbie

[Squeaksqueaker]

Hello! I stumbled on this site about 15min ago. I'm hoping to learn more about my squirrel friends that visit the yard daily. Also needing some advice on a squirrel nesting in my window sill with NO actual nest. We have a winter storm coming, and I'm worried

[island rehabber]

Welcome, glad you found us! There are loads of info here -- and feel free to ask questions and post pix of your backyard friends.

As for your windowsill squirrel, keep a close eye on him to be sure that he is not injured in some way, which prevents him from making a regular nest in a tree for the winter. He may need some extra support or help to survive the winter. Keep us posted, okay?

[Squeaksqueaker]

Thanks! He's definitely not injured, but his tree nest was recently destroyed. He currently has no protection from the elements, but I'm trying to find a way to mount a box in the same window. Any advice is welcome!!

[island rehabber]

Poor sweetie...yes a nest box for him would be excellent. Fill with dry leaves if you can find some.

[olorin19]

Thanks! He's definitely not injured, but his tree nest was recently destroyed. He currently has no protection from the elements, but I'm trying to find a way to mount a box in the same window. Any advice is welcome!!

There are all sorts of ideas here -

https://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?199-Cages-nestboxes-suppliers-materials-and-ideas

If there is no easy way to mount a nest box, attaching one to a metal post by your window is fairly easy to do. The wire you see also attached to the post is for climbing up and down.

This one is open just to show the bottom chamber but would normally be closed. The squirrels enter via the 3" x 3" entry near top onto a horizontal shelf that separates top and bottom. There is another 3" x 3" hole in this shelf over in the opposite corner for access to the bottom. (This creates a predator baffle so nobody can reach in from the outside and get to the lower chamber.)

This one was a spare that I stuck up right outside my back door, not expecting it to actually be used other by as a spot for my releases to hang out. One of my female releases Arya actually had several litters in this nest box.

I use a doormat on the roof to keep it dry and apply many coats of vegetable oil on all surfaces to make it quite weather resistant. I have one nest box that has been outside for ten years and is still solid and currently inhabited.

Besides providing food, fresh unfrozen water will help this squirrel and others. We have several heated bird baths for this purpose. But it also works just to have a water trough where you knock out the ice and add more water as needed.