How to Build Squirrel Nests

If you are part of the select crowd that believes squirrels are not pests, but in fact cute animals that deserve to have a home, you will be pleased to know that you can make such a home available to the squirrels who inhabit your world. Squirrels are found all over North America collecting nuts and jumping all over the place. When it comes time for squirrels to sleep, their main -- and sometimes their only -- option is to do so in a nest they make out of leaves and sticks. But you can easily make them a more comfortable abode for their nest using some commonly found building materials and a few tools.

Things You'll Need

  • 1/4-inch thick plywood
  • Saw
  • Nails
  • Hammer
  • Drill
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Instructions

    • 1

      Cut 6 rectangles from your sheet of plywood. You will need 4 pieces measuring 6 x 10 inches, and 2 pieces measuring 6 x 6 1/2 inches.

    • 2

      Drill a 3-inch diameter hole in one of the 6 x 10 inch pieces. Find the midpoint on one of the 6-inch sides, and from that point go 4 inches toward the center of the rectangle to mark your point for drilling. This hole will become the front entrance for the squirrels. Using some spare plywood, cut six thin strips of plywood, roughly measuring 1/4 x 2 inches, and tack them to the front and the back, just below the hole. These strips will help to provide the squirrels with some grip, so that they can climb into the nesting box.

    • 3

      Nail two 6 x 10 inch sides onto the front by making the corner flush and hammering a few nails from the outer edge of one board into the 1/4-inch thickness of the other, to form a corner. When you complete this you will have three sides joined on your house -- or, specifically, a front and two sides.

    • 4

      Nail on the back plate by making all edges and corners flush and nailing through the back into the edges of the side pieces. You will now have a 4-sided box, with a hole in the front for the squirrels to enter.

    • 5

      Affix the top and bottom, making the edges flush and nailing through each edge to sink the nails into the 1/4-inch thickness of each of the four vertical walls.

    • 6

      Drill some small holes in the bottom to allow for moisture to empty from the inside of the nest box.

    • 7

      Mount the nesting box 20 to 30 feet above the ground to a tree, just above a branch, to allow the squirrels easy access to it. Orient the box so that the opening faces the south.