Get to know the squirrel better
Squirrels are friendly little rodent mammals that live in trees, but can be found near homes jumping, or some flying, from branch to branch or running along a wall.
In France, it was only possible, until recent years, to come across only the red squirrel, or sciurus vulgaris from its scientific name, unfortunately, the American gray squirrel tends to supplant it. If I say “unfortunately”, it is because this species is considered invasive.
- Description of the squirrel: Rather discreet, this small animal weighing no more than 400 g, is easily recognizable with its plumed tail which is as long as its body and plays an essential stabilizing role, its red coat, its white belly and its mischievous eyes. Its hind legs are longer than its front legs, but all 4 have long hooked claws that allow it to climb trees.
- Way of life : it is a solitary animal which is mainly active during the day. At night, it takes refuge in the nest it has built at the top of a tree, preferably a conifer, to protect itself from its predators and to sleep. In general, the same squirrel builds several nests to, in a way, deceive the enemy! In winter, unlike other animals, it does not really go into hibernation, but adopts a sort of winter rest during which it is less active.
- Diet : in spring its food preferences go to slugs, insects, then in summer it turns to berries and fruits, and in autumn to acorns, hazelnuts, conifer seeds, maple seeds, buds, etc. Like the ant, it makes provisions that it can bury up to 50 cm deep, but, and this is not a legend, it tends to forget where its reserves.
- Reproduction: the squirrel uses its nests to reproduce. After 40 days of gestation, a female can give birth to a litter of 3 to 5 young. She can have 2 litters per year. The young are breastfed by the mother for 10 weeks. As soon as they are 3 months old, they are kicked out of the territory and must go live elsewhere. Unfortunately, only a quarter of them exceed the age of 1 year.
Why attract squirrels to your garden?
Squirrels are real allies in the garden for several reasons:
- In the vegetable garden, they will contribute to eliminating some pests such as snails or slugs.
- They also have an important role in biodiversity due to their thoughtlessness. Indeed, because they forget where their provisions are buried, they will stay in the ground and germinate. The squirrel therefore plays an important role in the dispersal of seeds.
How to attract squirrels to your garden?
To attract squirrels to your garden, it is necessary to create a space adapted to their needs.
A welcoming space
If you want a squirrel to come and settle in your garden, it must find this a place welcoming enough to want to come back. To do this, it will be necessary to to plant treesbut also climbing plants.
However, you must basically live near a wooded environment to allow the squirrel to come moving from tree to tree. Some municipalities have set up road crossings for squirrels. These are ropes stretched high to allow squirrels to cross through the air without risking being crushed.
Nest boxes for squirrels
To attract squirrels, you can also install nest boxes for them. If you already have one for birds, you can simply enlarge their opening to make it easier for them to access: an opening of 8 cm is enough for them.
For the safety of squirrels, place the nest boxes at least 4 meters high. You can find nesting boxes for squirrels in garden centers, but you can also build it yourself with untreated wood and avoiding nails and screws to prevent it from getting hurt. Provide a 30 x 20 cm nest box with a height of 20 cm, as well as several entrances and exits.
Once the nest box is ready, make sure to secure it securely and install it near plants to allow it to move around discreetly.
Food for the squirrels
If the squirrel finds something to eat in your garden, it will come there willingly. To do this, you can plant trees that are a source of food for him such as:
- a hazel tree: The hazel tree is an easy-to-grow shrub that will provide many nuts to the squirrels that come to your land.
- an oak, a beech, a walnut, etc. : he will also enjoy finding acorns, beechnuts, nuts, etc.
- a pine, a spruce, berry trees: they will delight these little rodents.
In winter, you can plan to put out some food to help the squirrels get through this period, just like for the birds.
Some water
During periods of drought or during periods of frost, it is useful to install a shallow, easily accessible container of water. It’s better to install it high to prevent the squirrel from putting itself in danger by being too much at the mercy of predators, such as your cat or dog, among others.
A natural garden
Maintain a somewhat wild garden with untidy spaces, trees that are not too pruned, etc. Your garden will thus benefit from insects and other wild life which will attract squirrels.
Check that your garden is secure
If you have a pond or swimming pool in your garden, make sure that it can get out if it falls into it or close its access to prevent any risk.
Squirrel in distress
If a squirrel lets itself be approached and touched, something is most likely wrong. It is therefore recommended to take him immediately to the nearest rescue center or veterinarian from your place. To do this, place the squirrel on a towel in a dark box, without giving it anything to eat or drink. If it is a young squirrel, you can put a hot water bottle on it to help it warm up.