House for squirrels from branches. What are the dimensions of the squirrel? Necessary tool for work

It's good to live in the country in the summer! It's warm, beautiful, birds sing, nests are built ... How great it is to make birdhouses with children and then watch how birds live in your houses!

Have you heard of the squirrel house? If there is a small forest near your site, then there is a high probability that these charming fluffy animals will come to visit you.

Make a house for a squirrel with your own hands, and forest guests will be happy to settle there. Imagine how much joy watching them will bring you and your children!

Note: you can, of course, buy a squirrel cage ready-made - for example, made of plastic. But, the animals will be much more comfortable in a house made of natural materials.

Squirrel house - from idea to implementation

To begin with, it is important to decide on a few general rules.

To make a design only from a natural tree.
Do not use paints, varnishes and other chemicals during processing, because their smell will scare away animals.
To quickly get used to the squirrels to the house, you can put a simple feeder next to it (in the form of a table or plywood board).
The optimal dimensions of the structure: height 50-55 cm, width about 40 cm, depth - about 45 cm. It is better to place a climbing hole in the upper part of the house and make it round (about 7 cm in diameter).
The installation height of the squirrel cage must be at least five meters.
The squirrel dwelling should be oriented by the location of the hollow strictly to the east side (but if winds constantly blow at this place, then locate the entrance to the south).
It is more convenient for the animals themselves to build a two-story house for them, so that several squirrels can be accommodated there at once.

A little imagination, and with your help, squirrels will live in a nice "chalet" with a veranda

Important note: in winter, several squirrels can live in one squirrel, but with the advent of spring, each of them will need separate housing, because babies will be born, and the living space needs to be increased.

Little tricks

You can use everything: any old boards, boards from packing boxes, slabs - as long as it is natural wood.
All material for manufacturing must be dry.
The optimal board thickness is 2-2.5 cm. In this case, the house will last a long time.
For the inner walls of the squirrel cage, the boards do not need to be planed.
The width of the side panel should be 30 cm, and the front and back - 25 cm. We have already indicated all other parameters above. This is done for the convenience of squirrels, because they will not live in too large dwellings.
It is better not to nail the bottom of the squirrel from the outside, but put it inside - so it will not fall out and will serve for a long time.

The simplest squirrel made of boards may appeal to animals more than a pretentious purchased house

Belchatka can be made in two ways:

put together from boards, like a birdhouse;
hollowed out from a single log.

How to build a squirrel house from planks

In fact, this activity will be simple and exciting, especially if you make a house with your children.

Three meters of edged board should be purchased (parameters: width 30 cm, thickness 18 mm.)

Also required to work:

square for drawing lines;
simple pencil;
hacksaw for cutting boards;
drill;
drill with a diameter of 30 mm;
screwdriver;
self-tapping screws (30-35 mm);
good quality waterproof glue.

The first stage - we prepare all the details:

measure along the board 55 cm and cut off - we get the back wall of the house;
on this wall we measure 5 cm from above and below and draw lines - we get free parts, with the participation of which the squirrel will be attached to the tree;
we take the main long board, cut off two identical parts 45x25 cm in size and get two side walls;
now we cut out the inner partition measuring 25x20 cm;
the remaining two small planks will be the porches in the house.

The second stage - open the door wider:

on the front and back walls we cut out round holes with a jigsaw (remember that they need to be placed closer to the top - so the squirrels will be more familiar and more comfortable);
these holes must be properly sanded, otherwise, the animals can get hurt on the unhewn walls. Sanding can be done with sandpaper.

The third stage - we assemble the entire structure:

carefully check and adjust all the details of the house - everything should fit well together;
carefully glue the walls of the squirrel - in this case, the appearance will be better and the life of the house is much longer;
finally fasten the house with self-tapping screws. It is better not to use nails here, because they can injure squirrels.

Squirrel apartments made of solid logs

Log houses are the closest to natural conditions, and, of course, tailed guests will live there with great pleasure. These houses have thick walls, and the squirrels will be very warm and comfortable there.

The original squirrel made from an old log looks great on a pine

In addition, such squirrels will fit very harmoniously into any garden surroundings. Well, if you have a log house, then by placing a similar structure nearby, you will constantly enjoy a harmonious picture pleasing to the eye, made in a single style solution.

Note: squirrels do not live on all trees!

Hit parade of squirrel preferences:

1st place - coniferous trees;

2nd place - oak;

3rd place - birch;

4th place - aspen.

Moreover, squirrels, as born top climbers, no longer favor third and fourth places, therefore, they will settle in an aspen or birch house in case of emergency. But in a poplar hollow, these animals will not live at all!

We make a squirrel from a log

We take a piece of log and saw off the top from it (4-5 cm thick) - this will be the roof of the house later;
Now we cut off a piece of about 40 cm from the log - this will be the house itself;
After that, you need to make a cavity inside (hollow out from the inside). The main thing is not to forget about the thickness of the walls and the bottom! It should be 3-5 cm;
On the side we cut out a hole - a round hole of small diameter, 6-7 cm;
Now we put our cover on top and attach it with screws;
To complete the picture, you can make the finishing touch - pin a strong thick branch at the entrance to the hole. Get a wonderful porch!

Care of the squirrel house

As with any home, a squirrel cage needs to be looked after. Fortunately, this care can be easy!

It is enough to put on rubber gloves at the end of summer and shake out all its contents from the house. After that, wipe with a damp cloth from the inside and put a fresh bedding (dry leaves, soft paper, dried moss).

Video: a story about a spacious squirrel cage arranged right in a huge tree

Everything! A charming squirrel house is ready! You have lovely neighbors: you have benefited them, and they will bring you great joy. Good and long neighborhood!

The reason for acquiring a suburban area is often the desire to leave the hustle and bustle in the city, to be closer to nature, relax, breathe fresh air. If the site is located near a forest or a park area where squirrels live, friendship with these funny animals can bring many pleasant moments. Squirrels are curious and friendly animals that often settle in the vicinity of human habitation if they do not see danger to themselves in this neighborhood. A house for a squirrel with your own hands will be that manifestation of care and attention that the animal will undoubtedly appreciate.

Step-by-step construction of a squirrel

The little rodent has its own preferences, which should be taken into account when choosing material for the future house. In nature, squirrels prefer to settle in the hollows of oaks or coniferous trees. This wood should be preferred. You can make a dwelling out of birch and aspen, but this is a rather risky choice. If a house for a squirrel is built from poplar, then such a structure will definitely be empty.

Squirrel is a cute animal that will be grateful to you for a warm house

Principles of creating a house for a rodent

Squirrel is an animal with a character that manifests itself even depending on the area in which it lives. American squirrels are not liked by local farmers because they pose a serious threat to corn and grain crops. There, persecuted rodents show amazing livability: even a cardboard box, bucket or plastic container lying around in the attic of the house can become a house for them.

Domestic squirrels are proud and choosy, but the biker feeder attracted attention

Domestic squirrels are proud and picky. How to make a house for a squirrel so that it is not empty? It should be borne in mind that each individual needs personal space, although squirrels prefer to settle in families. Therefore, the best option would be a two-story house with an internal partition.

When creating a house, toxic and odorous materials should not be used. The more natural the product, the greater the chance that the animal will want to live here. It is not necessary to build a house that is too big - squirrels can freeze in it. It is better to place moss or cotton wool from an old mattress inside the dwelling - the squirrel will plug extra gaps and equip a cozy nest.

Necessary tool for work

Before work, you should prepare the tool so that everything is at hand.

square for cutting;
roulette;
pencil;
wood saw;
drill;
nozzle "ballerina";
sandpaper;
screwdriver;
odorless waterproof glue;
self-tapping screws;
pencil.

Now you can get to work.

Cutting board use

To build the simplest, but quite comfortable housing for a squirrel, you will need a three-meter edged board 30 cm wide and 1.8 cm thick. It is enough to keep a drawing of a squirrel house in your imagination, because there is no particular complexity in the proposed design. This can be verified by performing the following steps in sequence:

measure 55 cm of the board and saw off the workpiece: the back wall of the house is 55x30 cm in size;
on the back wall it should be noted 5 cm from the bottom and top - these free parts will come in handy in order to attach the house to the tree for them;
the side walls should be cut in such a way that two parts 45x25 cm come out;
for the device of the internal partition, a detail of 20x25 cm is cut out;
the top cover of the house should be 30x30 cm, and the bottom - 25x30 cm;
two small planks are useful for making a porch;
in the upper left part of the facade, using the “ballerina”, make an entrance hole with a diameter of no more than 7-8 cm.

As you can see, it is possible, without resorting to drawings, to make all the details of the future house. Now it remains only to assemble the structure itself. All details of the dwelling must be carefully processed with sandpaper so that the animal does not get hurt. First, the base of the house must be assembled with glue, and then, after making sure that everything is in order, fix it with self-tapping screws. If the adhesive has a strong and persistent odor, do not use it.

Stages of building a squirrel from edged boards

Using timber to build a house

Log houses are more reminiscent of squirrels in their natural habitat - a hollow, so they settle in them with pleasure. The log required for construction should not be less than 40 cm in diameter. Work order:

saw off a wooden circle 4 cm thick - this is the roof of the future house;
the next detail is a log 40 cm long, which will form the basis of the dwelling;
in a log, a cavity should be hollowed out of such a size that the thickness of the bottom and walls is approximately 3 cm each;
make an entrance, nail the roof of the house and attach a thick branch for the porch at the entrance.

Such a squirrel looks natural, so there can be no problems with matching its site design.

This squirrel looks natural and matches any design.

Features of the installation of the finished structure

The finished squirrel does not need to be varnished and painted - this “beauty” will only scare away the squirrel. In addition, natural is always more attractive and more durable than artificial.

Five meters from the ground - a height that provides the animal with a sense of security

When installing, please note:

five meters from the ground - a height that provides the animal with a sense of security, so you should not place a squirrel lower;
the inlet should be oriented to the east or, in extreme cases, to the south;
consider the most frequent wind direction in your area so that the entrance to the house is not blown;
It is better to fasten the house than to nail it: take care of the trees.

Now that the house is ready, expect furry neighbors. A little trick: arranging a feeder next to the house can significantly reduce your waiting time.

A suburban area, if it is located next to a forest, can be an excellent haven for various animals. Squirrels are the most active in relation to contacts with people. These are quite nimble and reasonable fur balls, which, when they create special conditions, are happy to settle next to a person’s dwelling. Many squirrels, after only three months of such a neighborhood, get so used to the inhabitants of a country house that they sit on their shoulders and let themselves be fed directly from their hands. Sometimes squirrels are specially relocated from specialized nurseries.

But in any case, special conditions must be created for them. In particular, for the living of animals, special squirrels are needed: houses for squirrels. Making a squirrel with your own hands is not as difficult as it seems at first glance. You just need to know certain rules, have carpentry skills and show care and respect for the future inhabitants of the squirrel house. We have prepared for you detailed instructions on how to make a do-it-yourself squirrel house with the help of the materials that each of you has at your disposal.

We build a squirrel with our own hands

In order to build a squirrel with your own hands, it will not take so much. To begin with, it is worth deciding what you will make your squirrel house from. We offer you two options:

construction of a house for squirrels from edged boards using self-tapping screws and insulation with natural moss;
making a squirrel with your own hands from a single piece of wood of the species that is typical for your region.

To begin with, consider the simplest option - from edged boards. To do this, you need the board itself. Three meters of edged board with a width of 30 cm and a thickness of 18 mm are enough. For cutting, you will naturally need a hacksaw and a square to cut the future squirrel house.

Let's get to work. First, decide what house for the squirrel you should get. It has been noticed from our own observations that these fur-bearing animals like to settle in families. At the same time, they prefer to have different rooms for each individual. Therefore, their most favorite are multi-storey houses with internal partitions. We will make a two-story squirrel house for squirrels.

To do this, we measure 30 cm twice along the board. This is one side base of the future squirrel cage.

We repeat the operation and cut out two identical boards. We make the back wall in the same way.

The upper and lower parts of the structure in this case will be 30 cm wide and the same length. You will need 3 of these parts.

We assemble the resulting structure with the help of self-tapping screws and close up all the cracks with prepared forest moss.

Now it remains only to make the front part. The most difficult part of this operation is the inlets. So, we cut out the board with the same parameters as the back wall of the squirrel cage.

At the required distances, we mark the places of the inlets. They can be either oval or square. Don't make them too big. A diameter of 7 - 8 cm will be enough. Holes are cut with a jigsaw and carefully sanded with sandpaper.

After completion of the work, the front wall is attached to the structure. Your squirrel house is ready. Put some moss inside it. The squirrels that settle in it will independently close up all the remaining cracks to create warmth and comfort for their offspring.

The right squirrel: sizes and secrets

And now a few words about how to make the right squirrel: dimensions structures and the secrets of its placement on the site. The typical dimensions of a squirrel house are usually taken as follows: 30 cm in length for one floor of a two-story squirrel house and 45 cm in length for a one-story squirrel cage. The width is standardly taken at 30 cm. This is quite enough for comfortable placement of squirrels. Wider and higher squirrel cages do not attract animals due to poor heat preservation in winter.

Place the squirrel on your site should be in a quiet, peaceful place, closer to the forest. At the same time, it is desirable to locate the inlets to the squirrel cages to the east. Squirrels love this direction of light. A sufficient height of placement from the ground is at least five meters. The lower height will prevent squirrels from breeding their offspring.

You can only hang squirrels on natural trees. You can not wait for squirrels to visit if you hang houses for them on poles or supports specially set for this. Also, squirrels will be scared away by any painting work and varnishing of houses. Everything should be made only from natural materials.

Whole squirrel: how to make

You can also make a squirrel from a single piece of wood. To do this, you need to take a piece of logs from the wood of the species that is typical for your region. Squirrels love to settle in oaks. At the same time, they avoid houses that are made of aspen and birch. Poplar squirrels are completely unsuitable for squirrels.

We'll take a pine stump. To do this, we need to choose a pine log at least 40 cm in diameter. We saw off a circle with a thickness of 4 cm from it. This will be the roof of our squirrel house.

After that, a piece of log 40 cm long is sawn off. On one side of the piece, a hole is hollowed out of the size that will be enough for the squirrel to live. The thickness of the side walls is 2.5 cm and the bottom is 3 cm. An inlet is sawn from the side. The lid of the house is nailed. That's basically it. Belchatnik is ready.

For a two-story squirrel made of a single piece of wood, the algorithm of actions is as follows:

two circles 4 cm thick are cut out. This is the roof of the second floor and the bottom of the first floor;
a piece of log 75 cm long is sawn off;
from two end sides, the logs are hollowed out along the holes to a depth of 35 cm with a side wall thickness of 3 cm;
the roof and bottom are attached;
two inlets are made at the required height.

Solid wood squirrel houses fit more naturally into garden design. Squirrels love to nest in them. These are practical, durable and warm houses that will become a real home for forest dwellers.

A dacha located next to a park area or a forest area is an opportunity to meet small animals, admire them from the side, and, sometimes, even try to tame them. A rather frequent guest of the summer cottage is a squirrel. To tame her, you need to show ingenuity. However, the first thing to do when trying to tame a rodent is to build a house for it.

Building a house for a squirrel is not much different from making a birdhouse or bird feeder.

Making a house: choosing a place and material for creation

Since the squirrel is a thief rodent, the location of its house next to a person’s housing will not give any results, the squirrel will not settle in such a place. The most correct decision is to place the house on the edge of the site, away from people and fuss. It is desirable that the house does not stand out too much from the general interior, is at a safe height from the ground. These measures, when choosing the location of the house, will allow you to lure the squirrel into the house and gradually get used to your new home.

As practice shows, the material for the dwelling of a squirrel is not of fundamental importance. The small rodent responds equally well to both wooden houses and cardboard boxes, tin buckets, etc. However, the habit of building houses for smaller brothers from wood, as a rule, plays a decisive role in choosing the material for creating a house.

Perfect for making a house timber, mounting rail, etc. Of the tools, a screwdriver, a hacksaw for wood or an electric jigsaw, a round nozzle for cutting the entrance to the house, a pencil and a tape measure, a hammer are useful.

Manufacturing and installation of a squirrel house

All parts for the manufacture of the house are cut with a hacksaw or a jigsaw. Then, in its front part, a round hole is cut out, which will serve as the entrance to the house. Near the entrance make a small ledge, the so-called balcony. With it, the squirrel will be more comfortable getting in and out of the house. All parts of the house are fastened with nails or self-tapping screws. When installing the house, in no case should glue or any synthetic materials be used. They can harm the health of the squirrel and even lead to its death.

At the end of manufacturing, the squirrel housing must be fixed on a tree. The most correct way to fasten the house is to use fasteners or wire. It is not advisable to use nails or self-tapping screws to fix the house, they will hurt the tree. The house itself must be placed in the thick of foliage and branches so that the squirrels are far from the hustle and bustle. When mounting it at a high altitude, it is necessary to use insurance to prevent an accident.

Unusual ways to make a house for a squirrel

As a material suitable for making housing for squirrels, you can use an old uprooted stump. The easiest way to make housing is to cut a hole in the middle of the stump, which will be the place where the squirrel can organize housing. After that, a roof is fixed on top of the stump, housing for the rodent is ready.

Another way is to make a squirrel directly in a tree in case it is completely or part of it has died. In this case, it is necessary to cut a hollow in the middle of its trunk, grind the wood from the inside and protect the entrance to the house so that a cat or weasel cannot enter there. A roof, with this method of making a dwelling for a squirrel, is not needed.

And we will deal with the correct size of the house for the squirrel.

First, about what lives in our area:
Squirrel ordinary - Central Russian or veksha. Habitat: in the north - to Novgorod, in the west - to Pskov and Kaluga, in the south - to Tula, Penza, Syzran, in the east - along the river. Kama to Perm. Therefore, veksha lives in Moscow and neighboring regions.

There are about 15 more subspecies on the territory of Russia. Life expectancy in the wild is 3-4 years. In captivity up to 10-12 years. The mating season for the common squirrel takes place in the middle of winter. One female can have about 6 males. After mating with the winner, the female builds a brood nest (sometimes 2-3); it is neater and larger. Nests are built only by females. The gestation period is about 38 days. Squirrels are born naked and blind, their weight is only 8 grams. There are 3 to 10 cubs in a litter. Weight - only 250-340 grams.

False information!
Who writes the articles you read? Copywriters! They don't make squirrel houses! They just write. And they write mostly complete nonsense. The correct sizes of the squirrel cage indicated in the same article on the pages of search engines are not correct and not logical. They mislead you, because. invented on the knees, to increase attendance. All from one source, the pictures do not match the texts!

So what should be the dimensions of the squirrel?

We enter in the search engine: “The size of the squirrel cage” and: - dear mother! Someone is even looking for “Ideal squirrel sizes”. Probably for the perfect squirrel. As a result, all the material was provided by a man in blue slippers, who had a board 30 cm wide. And this “correct” person deduced the formula for the correct squirrel.

A little information that will help you understand, and not stupidly believe!
In deciduous forests, the squirrel usually lives in hollows, dragging a soft bedding of grass, tree lichens, and dry leaves into it. In conifers, it builds spherical nests from dry branches (gaina), which are lined from the inside with moss, leaves, grass, and wool. The squirrel's nest builds in a diameter of 25-30 cm. Moreover, what is very important, 25-30 cm is the outer diameter of the nest!!! And she takes what hollows she needs. Very often it occupies birdhouses, gnawing a hole. https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ordinary_squirrel

This is interesting!

In order not to bother with building a nest, the squirrel occupies a birdhouse. Males do not bother building their own nest, but settle down in housing left by females or in empty nests of magpies, thrushes and crows.

You can come across a recommendation to make a house for a squirrel with dimensions of 30 X 30 cm. This is not a house for a squirrel, this is idiocy! And in some sources up to 45 cm. ??? Who will offer more? For comparison! The duck house has a size of 30x30x65 cm.

Why is this redundant?
The required heat is calculated depending on the area of \u200b\u200bthe room, and more precisely, on the volume. The area of a circle is less than the area of a square. The simplest calculation: For a diameter of 30 cm (radius 15 cm) Circle area S \u003d πR² S \u003d 3.1428 X (15x15) \u003d 707, 13 cm \ sq. S square \u003d 30 X 30 \u003d 900 cm \ sq. with this area, the diameter of the nest should be 33.84 cm. And this is beyond the scope of what the squirrel does on its own. What's the point of making a squirrel more than required? It seems to me that just such was the board of the one who reproduced this proposal on the Internet. Or according to the principle: more - more solid - more expensive. That's how much material! But there is nature, there is mathematics, there is thermodynamics. In cold weather, squirrels gather in groups so as not to freeze.

The required volume to maintain heat limits the size of the squirrel cage. The material costs a penny, and the work is expensive. You can make a squirrel 5 cm more with the same efforts, but sell it for more. Tell me what is more expensive for work, cut off 1 meter of the board or 2 meters. Is it the same? And visually? But why a treehouse the size of a village toilet? We calculate the size of the house rationally, trying to combine the necessary comfortable parameters and a pleasant appearance. For a diameter of 25 cm (radius 12.5 cm) S sockets = 491 cm/sq. We calculate the width of the wall of the bottom square. √ 491 \u003d 22.15 cm. Considering that squirrels occupy birdhouses, where the wall of the bottom square is 12 - 14 cm.

So, what is the right house for a squirrel?

The right squirrel is shit! A ball with a diameter of 25-30 cm. On the outer surface!
Let's calculate the volume of the nest 30 cm in diameter. The volume of the sphere is V=4/3πR³. We consider V \u003d 4 / 3X3.1428x0.15³ V \u003d 0.014 (m³)
Result: r = 15 (cm); V = 14139 (cm³) or 14 liters.
Now a house with a base of 30X30 and a height of 40 cm. V \u003d 0.3x0.3x 0.4 \u003d 0.036 (m³)
Result: 30x30x40cm. V= 36000(cm³) or 36 liters.
Feel the difference. This is 2.57 times the required volume!
We hope we managed to explain the meaninglessness of large houses for squirrels?

So let's repeat:

Squirrels occupy even birdhouses.
They just sleep there.
They are constantly changing homes. Every time new proteins. One squirrel can have about 10 - 15 shelters, which are located in different parts of the forest. In winter, several squirrels can gather in one nest at once, the animals warm each other with their bodies and wait out the cold. In a huge house they will freeze.
Your personal, familiar or beloved squirrel will not live on your site. This requires an aviary. But they will change homes, so there will always be squirrels.
A nest that makes a squirrel for a brood of 25-30 cm in diameter! Outside Diameter! This is a ball in which the inner walls and ceiling height are not more than 20 cm. Not a room 70 cm high.!!!
The nest is 25 cm in diameter. This is a house with a wall up to 20 x 20 cm. Not 30cm. not 45cm. And this is for the brood. That is, in such a house she will breed offspring, and the offspring will not die from the cold.
There are no internal shelves and partitions in nests and hollows. See pictures. No need to invent!
There is no need to add grain. Beds and pillows are not provided.
The squirrel stocks up all over the forest. Not in the house! It's not a hamster. They also write such that the squirrel arranges storage. We read fairy tales and saw cartoons. Ropes with mushrooms, nuts, acorns. There's no such thing!
The unplaned inner surface allows wasps and hornets to build nests inside the house. She also collects wool and dirt, being an additional source of infection.
Notches, like a birdhouse on the inner wall, are not needed!
Wall joints should not have gaps.
Hang at a height of 7 meters and above.
Squirrels are not afraid of the smell of paint! There is no point in processing inside. And outside? The paint fades within a week. Squirrels of the 21st century are accustomed to smells and colorful life. The fact that the house should not be painted is invented by the village of Old Believers who wash their hair with ashes. Don't listen to idiots!
The right squirrel is not the shape and size! The correct squirrel cage is the volume in which the squirrel is warm and cozy!