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Thread: bought nesting boxes! now what!?

  1. #21
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    Default Re: bought nesting boxes! now what!?

    Have any of you had squirrels chew through the interior shelf, so that the nails are exposed? the manufacturer of the ones I purchased says they have been leaving the shelf OUT because of this.

  2. #22
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    Default Re: bought nesting boxes! now what!?

    Quote Originally Posted by MyBushyTail View Post
    I have 8 of the nest boxes that I posted the pictures of and all of mine are occupied all year long with a minimum of 4 squirrels to a maximum of 6 squirrels. In the summer months most of the male adults vacate my boxes and only my mommas with their children continue to occupy them. Don't worry your nest boxes will not go to waste. As for the dimensions I believe my boxes are 15" x 10" x 10" with an 18" backboard. Also, if mounting around a lot of branches I think that will be just fine as long as you have the external predator guards - even with the internal guards/shelves the squirrels will chew them away in no time so it is best to definitely have the external guards.
    Last time I was cleaning my boxes a few months ago they had the internal shelves but they are only about 2 years old.

  3. #23
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    Default Re: bought nesting boxes! now what!?

    ooops.... didn't quite understand that part of the comment "chew away". thanks!

  4. #24
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    Default Re: bought nesting boxes! now what!?

    Quote Originally Posted by elliek1 View Post
    Have any of you had squirrels chew through the interior shelf, so that the nails are exposed? the manufacturer of the ones I purchased says they have been leaving the shelf OUT because of this.
    Yes mine have all done it and still do it that is why I suggest definitely having the exterior predator guard for the extra safety. Some have suggested to use a type of metal interior shelf but I fear for that due to lightening - lightening here is always hitting the trees and one year the lightening struck one of my trees and killed my little squirrel - found her immediately after the strike with burnt smell dead (click on thread below).

    Baby #1 Why Did You Have To Leave Me So Soon?

  5. #25
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    Default Re: bought nesting boxes! now what!?

    Quote Originally Posted by Spanky View Post
    Last time I was cleaning my boxes a few months ago they had the internal shelves but they are only about 2 years old.
    WOW 2 years is great for your internal shelves to still be there. I am lucky if mine are still there for 2 months. My squirrels are super shelf chewers and immediately start chewing them up. I clean my nest boxes out every 6 months and just last month while doing so in one of the boxes the buggers chewed a 3" hole from the inside of the box right through to the outside of the box and that was on the part of the nest box that was mounted against the tree trunk.

  6. #26
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    Default Re: bought nesting boxes! now what!?

    Quote Originally Posted by MyBushyTail View Post
    Yes mine have all done it and still do it that is why I suggest definitely having the exterior predator guard for the extra safety. Some have suggested to use a type of metal interior shelf but I fear for that due to lightening - lightening here is always hitting the trees and one year the lightening struck one of my trees and killed my little squirrel - found her immediately after the strike with burnt smell dead (click on thread below).

    Baby #1 Why Did You Have To Leave Me So Soon?
    science stuff/Faraday

    Goal
    I´ve been trying to think up a way to make a Faraday cage around a squirrel box without using metal. (Metal is counterproductive because it may draw lighting toward the squirrel box which is the opposite of what I want.)

    Best Idea So Far
    Building a very solid squirrel box out of strong thick wood (like oak), and relying on rain water to serve as the conductor. Have also considered a rubber interior, but suspect that would be unhealthy and especially so in the heat when rubber smells, and potentially unsafe for teeth/claws. I would want to test this in a physics lab before implementing. As a secondary reward, this might be worthy of publication in a wildlife/physics journal if it is successful.

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