Build a squirrel house / bird feeder and hang it up correctly

If you notice a squirrel in the garden or want to attract one as a guest, it is a good idea to hang up a squirrel or bird feeder. Especially over the winter, the squirrel house can be vital for specimens that live near cities. At the same time you can watch the little rodents with the bushy tails building their nests and their wild mating rituals every year. To build a squirrel house, all you need is the right guidance.

Difference between squirrel house and bird feeder

If you are not very familiar with the representatives of the genus Sciurus, the squirrels, you are bound to wonder whether there is a difference between a squirrel and bird feeder. The answer is yes. While the house is used by the rodents to sleep and as a shelter for the offspring feed houses are separate systems that are only used to provide food to serve. The reason for this is the way of life of the animals, because they never eat in the sleeping place and therefore stock up on supplies. The following options are therefore available to you:

• build a bird feeder if you want to support the animals with food over the winter
• build a complete house if you want to provide a place to sleep for the rodents

A big advantage of the bird feeders is the fact that they do not have to be set up at the same height as the sleeping places. Even if you don't have a tree that is at least four to five meters high, you can still offer food to the squirrel cats. Remember, if you choose a whole house, you need the bird feeder for that Also hang up animals so that they have enough food available, especially in urban areas Surroundings.

tip: The cute rodents, especially the females, will be happy if you hang up several houses at the same time. They change nests more often and use one, for example, as an alternative nest if they are threatened by a marten or a cat.

Build a squirrel house / bird feeder

materials

The materials for building the nests and feeding grounds are important so that the animals can actually refer to them. Squirrels are quite picky, so it's important to choose materials that effectively recreate their natural environment. A list of materials follows:

• Wood with a thickness of 2 cm, untreated, quantity depends on the size of the house
• Roofing felt
• Biologically based wood glaze
• Brass screws, stainless steel screws or nails (galvanized)
• Plexiglass for the bird feeder
• Stainless steel or brass hinges
• Wood glue

The following types of wood are particularly suitable for this:

• maple
• beech
• jaw
• larch

Compared to other solid woods, these are quite light, which is good for the nests, as they have to be hung quite high in the tree. In addition to the materials for building a house, you also need upholstery that is placed directly in the squirrel house and looks appealing to the squirrels. If there is enough nest material, the animals like to move in:

• Straw or untreated wood wool
• Feathers or sheep's wool
• moss
• short, thin branches

Since the squirrels need a lot of nesting material, you should collect a little more. Especially the use of feathers The animals like it because they often collect them in the wild. Be careful not to use large feathers, for example from crows, seagulls or pigeons. These are often not suitable for building nests. Now it's time to build the houses.

tip: Many do-it-yourselfers make houses for the Eichkatzen from plywood or MDF boards. However, these are not suitable for this purpose as they are often damaged by the animals' claws.

Squirrel house

Build a squirrel house: instructions

Squirrels need a larger house compared to birds because they can grow up to 8 inches tall and weigh up to 400 grams. This is why you should build a squirrel house with the following attributes:

• Base area: at least 26 cm x 26 cm
• Height: at least 30 cm
• The base plate can protrude 2 cm at an entrance hole
• The roof should protrude at least 1 cm on the sides and at least 3 cm on the front
• this prevents rain from running into the house
• a flat roof is recommended as the animals like to rest on the roof
• In addition, a flat roof from one piece of wood is much easier to build
• there must be two 7 cm diameter holes on two different sides
• these serve as entrances and escape routes
• the roof is bevelled slightly and the roofing felt is fastened with staples so that water can drain away more easily

A squirrel house made of a cuboid is particularly easy to implement and, above all, sufficient for the squirrels. You can easily screw and glue the four sides, the floor and the ceiling. The lid is attached with hinges so that you can fill it easily. Don't forget to treat the untreated wood with the wood stain after assembling. Then place part of the nesting material in the Kobel and form a hollow in it with your fist. Finally, fill in the rest of the nesting material, close the lid and hang it up. The squirrel takes care of the finishing touches.

Hanging up the squirrel house: instructions

Hanging up a squirrel house is a lot of work, as they are placed at a height of four to five meters, preferably directly in the treetop. However, the following applies here: the higher the better. The rodents' natural predators can hardly reach them at heights of over four meters. The right time is well before mating, either before February or before June, depending on what time of year you are. If your tree has a fork of this height, that would be ideal, but it can also be placed on the trunk without additional branches. The following are suitable for fastening:

• Lashing straps
• Cords or ropes made of weatherproof material, for example made of jute or polypropylene
• Wooden strip
• Eye bolts made of brass or stainless steel

If you choose the cords or straps, make sure that they fit around the tree and secure the house well. To do this, you screw the eye bolts into the back of the house and guide the rope or lashing straps through them. Alternatively, screw a strip of wood that is at least twice as long as the house's height vertically to the back. Then nail the wood to the tree using the wooden strip. Choose a good, sturdy ladder for hanging. Squirrel houses aren't heavy, which makes hanging them up pretty easy.

tip: If you are not good at ladders yourself, ask someone to do it for you. This way you don't run the risk of falling off the ladder in fear.

Bird feeder

Build bird feeder: instructions

The bird feeder is much smaller compared to the squirrel house. The dimensions:

• Wooden base plate: 20 cm long x 10 cm wide
• 3 wooden side panels: 15 cm high x 12 cm long
• 1 display wall made of plexiglass: 10 cm high x 10 cm wide
• Wooden lid: 12 cm length x 10 cm width

You first attach the side panels and the plexiglass panel. The plexiglass side is mounted one centimeter inwards via grooves. The squirrels can see the food through the plexiglass, but first you have to lift the lid to get to it. For this reason, the side parts, not the rear, are bevelled towards the front and the lid is mounted on the rear using hinges. The plexiglass must never be connected directly to the lid for two reasons:

• prevents mold growth as the lining is ventilated
• Squirrels cannot injure themselves if another animal hops on the lid

Of course, you can decoratively adapt the bird feeder for the squirrels, but you should pay attention to the points mentioned above.

Hanging the bird feeder: instructions

The big advantage of the bird feeder is the low height at which it has to be hung. Since the squirrels like to move to their food and the feeding place should not be too close to the actual sleeping place, another tree in the garden is ideal. Hang the bird feeder on the tree with a nail or string so that you can reach it while standing or on a small ladder. It doesn't have to hang higher. The reason: You don't always have to go to dizzying heights to refill the feed.