table of contents
- What is a Kobel?
- Help with building a nest
- frequently asked Questions
If you want to support squirrels in building their nests, it is best to leave branches that have been cut off from the annual tree and hedge maintenance in the garden in autumn. The animals are looking for the materials from around January of the following year.
In a nutshell
- A squirrel's nest is commonly called a goblin
- Animals start in January or February usually several of these Kobels to build at the same time
- to do this, they use branches for the cover and moss or Sheets for indoor use
- To help squirrels build cobels, cut branches and leaves from the previous year should be left in the garden
- it also makes sense to leave some of the last grass mowing on the meadow
What is a Kobel?
A squirrel goblet fulfills several functions all year round. On the one hand, it serves as a nest for the animals in which they give birth to their young. You also use a Kobel as a regular place to sleep and rest or as Vanishing point
in which to hide. Each squirrel usually has several kobels at the same time. Squirrels usually build their nests in the crowns of trees at a height of about six meters. The almost spherical nest is usually made of materials that the animals find in nature or in the garden. For the shell are usually- related to small to medium-sized branches
- and spaces filled with moss
When it comes to the interior, the rodents prefer it to be cozy and comfortable. The following are used there:
- Mosses
- soft braids
- leaves
- grass
- feathers
- fur
- straw
The Kobel is usually placed on a stronger tree branch and of course has an entrance that is usually not visible from below.
Help with building a nest
Squirrels do not need active support when building their nests. You instinctively know what to do and what materials to use. Squirrels who live in forests have no problem finding the right material for the goblin either. Animals that prefer to stay in settlements, however, need a certain amount of human support. They are usually used to contact with people and can literally smell them. So you are not that shy anymore.
Note: However, support does not mean that humans take an active part in building the nest, but rather simply making building materials such as branches available by making them easy in garden maintenance leaves lying. It is therefore a matter of supporting the animals by providing them with something like an ideal environment.
Speaking of ideal: It always makes sense to leave a garden largely natural. Well-kept, aseptic gardens are neither the thing of croissants nor of other animals. Near-natural gardens also largely guarantee that mosses will settle. Remnants of bark or other small pieces of wood should also be left in the garden. Also very important: Do not completely remove and dispose of leaves in autumn, but make sure that there is at least a small corner for the rodents to help themselves to.
Tip: If you want to watch the animals building cobels, you should behave as calmly as possible and only make very slow movements.
frequently asked Questions
No. The animals would not use scraps of fabric either, as they smell too much of people. They are also not necessary, as nature offers enough building materials.
Unfortunately, it happens again and again that a baby squirrel or a young animal falls out of the nest. If you find such an animal, you should take it to a wildlife sanctuary, where it is nursed and then released back into the wild. In no case should you try to put the animal back in its Kobel. Just the smell of humans would lead to the parents rejecting the young animal and no longer looking after it.
Delicious food always helps. For example, if you place a small portion of nuts in the garden for several weeks, there is a good chance that a squirrel will settle in the immediate vicinity of the food source.
Necessarily. It is important, however, that the animals have free access to the camp and do not have to fear being locked up there. It should also be borne in mind that such a straw bed may also be used as a sleeping place by predators of the rodents. A certain amount of security, for example through a door, makes sense. Of course, a small opening in the door, through which only the cute little nut eaters can get, must not be missing.
