IMPORTANT: When cutting trees down, please CHECK FOR NESTS! If you find squirrels in a tree or in your house, follow these tips:
Baby squirrels are always the first babies to be brought to us. Often it is the result of cutting down trees that have nests. If this happens to you or you are witness to it, here are a few steps that can help in the survival of the babies:
KEEP IN MIND: Mom has just had the packing scared out of her. She will not return to the area until she knows you are gone and things have settled. If, after the time has passed, she has not recovered her babies, contact a wildlife rehabilitator.
- If you are able, stop working and leave the area for a couple hours. The mother will not come to her babies if humans are around.
- If you are not able to stop working, place the babies in a box with a bottle (just about any pop or water bottle will do) filled with hot water wrapped in a towel next to them to keep them warm.
- When you are finished working, take some of the nesting material and place it where the tree used to be. Place the babies and a wrapped bottle of hot water in the nesting material and leave the area for 2 or 3 hours.
IMPORTANT: Warmth for babies, especially those that have not opened their eyes, can be a matter of life and death. One way to do this is to wrap a bottle of hot tap water in a towel or other material and set it in with the babies. DO NOT USE ANYTHING THAT HAS FRINGE. It has a way of wrapping around the legs and the torso of the animals.
If the squirrels are in your house and you know where the nest is, do the following:
- When Mom is out getting food, seal the spot where she is gaining entry.
- Then place the babies in a low box with a bottle of hot water and place them outside close to where the entrance for Mom.
- Here again, give it a couple hours and she will move her babies. Don’t worry that you just took their home; a neat thing about squirrels is they always have two nests and Mom will simply relocate, because any time they feel the babies are in danger, they will move to the second nest to keep them safe.
WILDLIFE PROGRAMS AND DISPLAYS
If you would like to see many of these animals up close, please consider booking one of our Wildlife Programs or Displays that are reasonably priced and perfect for Organizations | Schools | Churches | Campgrounds | Nursing Homes | Fundraisers | Displays at Events. All money generated from the programs & displays goes right back into the care of the wildlife.
For more information about our programs, visit our programs page.
Copyright 2017 Fran Kitchen
Operation Orphan Wildlife Rehabilitation, Inc. is a 501(c)3 Non-Profit Organization and does not receive federal funding. We are supported entirely through private donations, memberships, and proceeds from our education programs. Click here to donate.