 Not recommended: Extending a ladder by placing it in the bucket of a tractor. We (he) mounted the squirrel house in early January, because squirrels are very cautious about moving into new quarters. They need time to investigate. Then if a couple decides to move in, they need more time to furnish it with huge mouthfuls of leaves and twigs. Gray squirrels mate in late winter and mid-summer, and the litters are born 40-44 days later in March/April and July/August. (Yearling females only mate once.) Squirrels live high in trees, so Bob mounted the squirrel box about 20 feet up a sturdy maple tree. We had a 16-foot ladder and extended it by placing the foot of the ladder in the bucket of our Kubota tractor. Bob carried the heavy squirrel house, a portable screw gun, and four #8x3-inch screws up the ladder. I held the camera down below. His job was to balance the house while securing it to the tree with two screws at the top and two at the bottom of the mounting board (the vertical board attached to the back of the house). My job was to take a picture and try to breathe normally. If you plan to mount a squirrel box, be very careful. It will all be worthwhile when you see those little squirrels peeking out, venturing out, and finally playing freely like digital acrobats.
6 Comments
10/18/2018 08:45:45 am
Curious, will ten feet work, I am handicapped? Also, should I use galvanized screws top/bottom, or lag bolts... thanks
Bob Sutherland
2/6/2020 12:49:43 pm
Ten feet should work but he higher the better. Any rust resistant screws, bolts or nails will suffice. I mounted my boxes at around 15 feet using galvanized nails. I got two squirrels in one box within two months of mounting. But surprisingly, one is a male but I'm unsure about the gender of it's nest mate.
Dave
10/29/2021 05:41:02 pm
Great article. I have squirrel feeders for many years. Time to provide housing for them. I was thinking of using heavy plastic twist ties to hold them up instead of screwing or nailing. Any thoughts?
Christyn
1/25/2022 09:27:37 pm
The twist ties are not a good option as the squirrels will chew thru ANY kind of rope,bungee cord,cable lines,extension cords ect no matter how thick it is. I've even had them chew thru thick metal wire. The metal wire and the very thick climbing cord took them a bit of time to get thru but they did it! They LOVEEE to chew thru round cord type items for some reason. LUCKILY the houses were mounted with galvanized screws and the climbing rope was just there for them to play on. I hope that helps. :) Thankyou to EVERY ONE who takes the time to care about,put up a house for or feed these amazing little creatures that so often get no love at all. ❤🐿 2/8/2022 07:47:46 am
Very much appreciated. Thank you for this excellent article. Keep posting! Leave a Reply. |
AuthorToni Albert, M.Ed., is an award-winning author of more than 40 books. Her lifelong love for nature, children, and books inspired her to commit her publishing business, Trickle Creek Books, to “teaching kids to care for the Earth.” Archives
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trickle creek books500 Andersontown Road
Mechanicsburg, PA 17055 717-766-2638 Toni Albert tonialbert@tricklecreekbooks.com |
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