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Many homeowners and garden enthusiasts do not appreciate squirrels. One way to protect your garden or your birdhouse is to provide a sanctioned area for squirrels. A squirrel house, built properly, will encourage squirrels to stay in their area and out of yours. A squirrel house, like a birdhouse, is used to feed and shelter squirrels.
Steps
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Gather your tools. This is a basic woodwork project and doesn’t require anything too elaborate. You’ll need a saw (jig-saw if you have one), an electric screwdriver, and screws (3-4 dozen). If you don’t have an electric screwdriver, you could also use a hammer and nails. Screws hold the squirrel house’s design more securely than nails. Keep the following on hand as well:
- Measuring tape
- Pencil and paper
- First aid kit
- Sandpaper
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Gather wooden boards. Scrap lumber will work just fine for this project. Exterior grade plywood could be used, but this material is easier for the squirrels to damage. Two boards should be 12” x 12” or larger to be used as the floor, roof, and overhang. You’ll also need two additional 35” x 6”.
- The six is based on the average squirrel size. If you notice larger species such as Red or Grey squirrels, use a wider size wood. Use something between 6” and 10”
- You don’t need to follow these exact dimensions if you acquired enough scrap wood.
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Create the front and back panels. The key to a good squirrel house is for the roof to overhang slightly. To achieve this, the front board should be one inch shorter than the backboard. Use your measuring tape to mark 18” on one board and 17” on another board. Draw legible and straight lines with your pen across the board.
- Use your saw and cut along the line in an even fashion. Take your time sawing. A good cut is better than a quick and choppy cut.
- Again these are the measurements for this squirrel house. You can make your house smaller, but don’t make it bigger. Squirrels enjoy compact spaces.
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Create your sidewalls. The sides must be the same width as the front and back panels. The side panels require a more advanced cut. You’ll need to measure 18” on one edge and 17” on the other edge. Each plank's top will be cut into a slanted edge. Use your measuring tape to mark the right measurements.
- Draw a line to connect the 18” marker to the 17” marker. Use a ruler to create a straight and even line.
- Take your time to create a clean cut with your saw. You should now be able to see the panels align with the front and back walls.
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Create a doorway. Now you need to create an entrance for the squirrels to use. Take one of the side panels and measure three inches from the 18” side. Use the 3” mark to create a hole that is 3” in diameter. You’re basically removing the pointed edge of a sideboard.
- It doesn’t need to be exactly three inches in diameter but should be close. The hole size determines what species can fit into the house. People have reported possums n their “squirrel house,” because the opening was too large.
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Attach the walls. Start by positioning all the walls in place using your hands. Make sure all the front and rear edges align with the proper sides. Once you’re pleased by the outline, it’s time to attach the walls. Attach everything in the following order:
- Position the front wall (17”) with a sidewall. Place the side panel’s edge in front of the front panel’s edge. Insert 4-7 evenly spaced nails or screws to attach the two.
- Attach the side panel that is attached from the front wall to the back wall (18"). Again, the nail or screws should pass through the sidewall before going through the rear wall’s edge.
- Attach the other sideboard onto the house. For each corner, you should use between 4-7 screws or nails.
- If you are using an electric screwdriver, take your time. It is easy to damage the wood if you try to work too quickly.
- There should be an even slope from 18" (back wall) to 17" (front wall).
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Connect the flooring. Use one of the 12” x 12” boards as flooring for the squirrel house. Position the frame created in the previous step on top of the 12” x 12”. Align the 18” wall along the edge of the floorboard. Center the frame and mark where the corners will be on the floor.
- Flip the frame to begin attaching the nails and screws. Attach nails or screws into each corner. Use between 3-4 screws or nails for each side.
- Be careful to only attach the nails or screws along with the house’s frame.
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Fill the house. Some builders like to insert a wooden divider into the house with a 3” gap to create two stories. Squirrels like to play in compact spaces. Make it comfortable for the squirrels by adding pillow fluff or the contents of a stuffed animal. Another good bedding material is dried moss found in nature or a craft store.
- Measure the inner dimensions to create a floor divider for the house. Cut out a 3” hole as you did with the entrance to the house.
- Hold the floor divider and have somebody assist you with attaching it with a nail or screw. The set of helping hands will attach the screw through the exterior wall into the divider.
- It’s okay if there are gaps between the floor divider and the walls. This doesn’t need to be as tight as the exterior structure.
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Attach the roof. Use the extra 12” x 12” as the roof. Align the edge of the 12” x 12” to the backside of the roof (18” wall). You’ll need to hold the wooden board in place as you nail or screw in the roof. There should be an overhang on the front of the house.
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Scout your yard. Plan to spend a day watching your yard to witness how active the squirrels are. Take mental notes of certain trees you see multiple squirrels pass through. Pick out one of the trees that you think will hold that house.
- To promote squirrel activity, choose a location that is 10 to 30 feet off the ground. The higher the house is, the more likely squirrels will occupy it.
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Create a grip. You will need two large nails to create a stable grip for the squirrel house. Use a secure and long ladder to reach the desired spot for the house. Have a partner around to spot you for safety measures. Drive the first nail into the tree with a hammer, but leave an inch exposed. Take the second nail and drive that about eight inches parallel to the first nail. Leave an inch of the second nail exposed.
- The squirrel house should fit in between the two nails.
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Wrap the squirrel house. You will tighten the squirrel house to the tree by tightening a thick wire around the house and tree. Make sure you use a strong wire that has tightening abilities. You could also tie the wire together and tighten with pliers, but this may prove dangerous at such a height.
- Go to a local hardware store and ask about the thick gauged wire that can be tightened easily. They will have something that will work.
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Mount the squirrel house. Fit the squirrel house between the two nails previously inserted into the tree. The goal is to have the nails fit the house’s width in a snug manner. Then use the wire from the previous step to secure the squirrel house.
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Add food. Squirrels are easy to attract once you’ve provided a shelter for them. Squirrels enjoy the same foods that birds like. This is a reason why squirrels invade your bird-feeders. You could use bird food or any of the following:
- Fruit (berries)
- Sunflower seeds
- Nuts
- Pet food
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Community Q&A
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QuestionCan I treat the wood with shellac or other substances?Community AnswerIt's best to leave it as it is. If you treat the wood with any substance, make sure it is non-toxic.
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QuestionWon't the heavy gauge wire hurt the tree?Community AnswerYes, it could rip a strip of bark off.
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QuestionDo I need to drill vent holes in the squirrel house for ventilation?Community AnswerNo. As long as the house has an open entry for the squirrel (which it will), then that will provide sufficient air flow.
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Tips
Tips from our Readers
The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.
- If you have more squirrels, you can set up more houses to accommodate them all. You might also set up a separate feeder for them so they aren't relying solely on food you put out at the entrance to the house.
- Don't puncture trees with nails! This is a horticultural nightmare; injury to the bark of a tree will allow bacteria and diseases to enter and will diminish the health of the tree over time.
- Don't wrap a wire around a tree—you can kill it.
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Reader Success Stories
- "This article gave me the best instructions on making our rescued squirrel a safe and secure shelter home once he was ready to be released back into the wild, but still close enough to our property that I can leave him treats on occasion. Thank you!" ..." more
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"This article gave me the best instructions on making our rescued squirrel a safe and secure shelter home once he was ready to be released back into the wild, but still close enough to our property that I can leave him treats on occasion. Thank you!"
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"Many thanks for providing the instructions on how to build a squirrel house. We have many squirrels in our area and they enjoy having their own feeder, so we decided to also provide them with shelter."
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