If you’re like Skwirlboi, you like nothing more than banging a few pieces of wood together to build a tree home for wayward squirrels. There are tons of plans for these “nesting boxes” online. I’ve put together a plan for one that seems to satisfy even the most persnickety squirrel. Purists might disagree, but I’ve found that any old wood that can withstand the elements will do, except anything toxic. Squirrels tend to gnaw on their homes. Who doesn’t? 

I shred cheapo polyester fleece throws and put them in as a house-warming present, but you don’t have to. Squirrels will pack them with whatever bedding’s available — leaves, twigs, newspaper, bedroom suites, etc. It warms the old ticker to see a squirrel feverishly running up and down a tree with great bales of leaves in its jaws. They look so excited about furnishing their new digs!

Most plans call for a hinged top so you can occasionally clean out the house. I stopped adding this feature for two reasons. 1) Too high. You should hang your house at least 10' off the ground — preferably more. This is an inconvenient height for cleaning and I already have enough trouble cleaning my own house at ground level. 2) Squirrels run a tight ship. I've changed out old squirrel houses and have always found them to be very clean and tidy. I wish they'd do my house.

I like to place the entrance in the forward part of the house in order to keep  out less-agile, would-be predators. Also, a hallway that requires an immediate sharp turn on entry keeps out the elements and predators, but this isn’t absolutely necessary.

I've found that squirrels start moving in within a week of putting the house up. They seem to have no trouble figuring out what this contraption is. They'll treat it like any other homeowner would. You'll often see them lounging on top, flat on their bellies with arms and legs extended, looking like squirrel rugs. Mrs. Skwirlboi calls this "rugging", which is the perfect term for it.

I don't know exactly how the squirrels determine who gets to live in the house. Sometimes you get one, sometimes two or three. After a few months you're likely to see some teeny squirrels clumsily trying to maneuver the entrance to the house. They try to act like the big squirrels but fail miserably. They'll miss their marks when jumping, wrestle with sticks or each other, and cause general mayhem. A lot like their human counterparts, I suppose.

Alrighty then — time to start building. I hope this helps!