Our new workshop was already being built when the squirrel house came crashing down from the tree and smashed onto the rock wall below it.
You might be able to see in the photo that the former squirrel home was packed nearly to the top with nesting material. In fact, it looks as though they couldn’t even use the round door, it was so full. The previous Autumn we had watched an industrious squirrel gather things from our back yard and pack it full. It appears that it might have accumulated more debris each winter and this last winter filled it. Then she made it her home over the winter, raising squirrel babies in the spring.
We like the squirrels around here. They are fat and spoiled, and eat all the sunflowers in our garden. We have also trained two of them to take peanuts right from our hands.
Once the box crashed down, we realized with relief that the family had grown up and moved on, so no one got hurt. The box was so old and rotten from weather and age that the activity over the winter must have weakened the last grip it had on the tree it had been nailed to.
The crash was serendipitous, because we had been wanting a first project for Pedro’s shop when it was complete. Building a new home for the squirrels was low stress, low consequences, if things went wrong.
Pedro is very creative, and it should not have surprised me that he put so much into this new squirrel home. He searched online until he found plans for building the most fabulous squirrel condominium that he could find, with a shelf to walk on, and a privacy screen in front of the circle door.
He didn’t stop with the creative design, but also added artwork to adorn all the outside walls. I’m not sure why the cat, but it seems a bit threatening to a squirrel?
While he was in the painting stage, our beautiful corn was maturing in the garden, and those stalks were loaded with corn cobs turning fat and golden. Then the squirrels found them and began eating through the husks and devouring them before they were quite ripe. Pedro had been enjoying the thriving corn so much he had become attached and was salivating for the day when we could harvest. The squirrels made him so angry – and RIGHT when he was in the middle of a project for them.
He added the message ASAB to copy the graffiti message of anger around streets in the US, ACAB. It stands for All Cops Are Bastards. Pedro and I do not agree that all cops are bastards, though we agree that too many of them definitely are. In any case, the message on the squirrel house stands for All Squirrels Are Bastards, which we also don’t agree with. But it’s funny.
Instead of nailing it in place like the other one, Pedro installed metal rings into the back of the house, and screwed hooks into the tree. Then the two of us lifted it up there (so heavy!) and hung it on the hooks. That should make it stay in place.
We hung it in time for a squirrel to choose it as a winter home, but they did not. My guess is that it probably does not yet seem safe. It smells like polyurethane, and just appeared out of nowhere. The smart squirrels decided not take make any hasty decisions with it. Hopefully by next Autumn they will feel confident and consider it. I mean, look at that thing! It’s ginormous. They could raise a couple families in there for sure; at the same time! ha ha!
Our climate is so persistently wet that property fences and their gates are constantly rotting. The gate on the side where the chickens are is barely enough, as you can see in the photo above. Pedro plans to rebuild this gate as his next project.
This poor gate has been “fixed” by having plywood affixed to it, and even that plywood is now rotting. I’m looking forward to having a better solution soon.
Conscious Engagement 
Great project and work. Well done Pedro 👏👏 A good first project
Maybe some old nesting material in there might entice them in?
That’s a good idea, Brian, but too late now. We have discarded all the old material. But I think once the house has been hanging there for a year, they will think better of it next winter.
Just wow! That is one beautiful condo. I’d move into it once the polyurethane smell is gone. They won’t go near it until it is. Very sensitive noses. He’s got quite the artistic flair going on. He should do that to all the fencing! It would be a very happy back yard.
Marlene, you just lit up my brain to think of it: the entire back yard fence painted and lovely. Maybe that’s a project he will consider when he’s retired. The man simply relishes his opportunities to be creative, and he loves to paint.
I believe you are right about the smell. It must be scary and foreign to them still.
Also potentially toxic to tiny lungs. I’ve had so many issues around anything chemical lately. Whether squirrels live in it or not, it’s beautiful.
Wonderful work of construction and painting
Thank you, Derrick. I will pass on your compliments. 🙂
Congrats on the squirrel cage. It looks great. Hopefully, many a squirrel family will raise their kids there! and not eat Pedro’s corn. Otherwise, it might be squirrel stew.
That is our hope! (Don’t tell Pedro, but I wouldn’t mind squirrel stew. I think squirrel is delicious. But he is a big softie and would not allow it, ha ha!)
You could tell him that it has been specially flavored with corn. Grin.
Muchas felicidades para Pedro… The house looks very neat… And I’m sure squirrels will move in soon.
Now the fence? It is a bit urgent I guess. Looks like wood in Mexico, the rains are becoming so hard, loaded with chemicals, I have to do maintenance on all outside wood every year…
👍🏻
I’ll let Pedro know you said so. Gracias. I did not realize the rains were increasing where you live in Mexico. So then you understand and that’s how you knew the gate project is urgent. I am so sorry to hear about the chemicals – something you can’t do anything about but react. Luckily, our chickens are a little bit dumb, and somewhat satisfied with their life, so they aren’t trying to get out, because it would be pretty easy for them to break the remaining wood and squeeze beneath to the wide dangerous world. Pedro has already been watching YouTube videos to learn how to best design the door and the latch and what materials to use.
Cimpliments to Pedro again. I did a lot of house renovation with my parents when we had a house in Normandy. We basically re-did the house over. Which meant electrical work, plumbing, new floors, new roofs, etc. But the work I liked best? Wood work. Working with wood is magic. Something about the material… Metal? Tiles? all right. But nothing close to wood work…
Best of luck.
The squirrel home is so beautiful. Please convey my appreciation to Pedro.
Oh, I will Lakshmi. Thank you so much for stopping by and for commenting.