FAQ - Frequently asked questions about Sqirrels
Common prejudices and why they are NOT true:
“Squirrels are nest robbers?“
Observations that showed Squirrels leaving a nest with a naked baby bird mostly proved to a breastfeeding Squirrel mothers transporting their still naked Squirrel babies from a drey to another hide-out and not a stolen young bird. Squirrels cover their need for protein by occasionally eating insects – and their need for calcium by nibbling antlers or bones or eating bird eggshells. Squirrels do not constitute a problem for our birdlife!
“Only Red Squirrels are indigenous?”
One prejudice that has proven to be particularly persistent: With a darker fur colour are not indigenous and Squirrels expel Red Squirrels. That is definitely not true! We humans have different hair colours, Squirrels have different fur colours, which range from light red to dark brown, almost black. Individual litters can also have different fur colours. Regardless of their outer fur colour, all have a white stomach. The larger American Grey Squirrel is not yet found in Germany!
Why two new SCHWEGLER product developments?
A special feature of Squirrels is that they not only inhabit one drey, but always create several stick nests. The reasons for this are diverse: If Squirrels have to leave a drey because of danger, they can always retreat to another one. Season-specific dreys are also created and a particularly large and well-padded one for rearing the young animals. Squirrel children are born naked and with closed eyes and weigh around 12 – 15 grams. They do not open their eyes until the 32nd/33rd day and are therefore dependent on their mother, who breastfeeds them until the age of around six weeks when they repeatedly venture out of the drey and thus begin to eat solid food. We have based our products on the lifestyle of Squirrels and in addition to the Rearing Drey, we also offer a Litter Drey, which is very important for many weeks of the year (Squirrels have 2 – 3 litters). If a Squirrel mother considers here Litter Drey to be threatened, she will not delay and transports the young to another drey. The more dreys we offer the animals, the more we do for the survival of the population.
Natural enemies: Domestic Cats, Raccoons, Martens, Raptors, Corvids.
Siting: place on the tree trunk facing away from the rain or on the house wall.
Installation height: at least 4 metres, the higher the better.
Tip: Offer Squirrels the wool we supply as building material. It has a natural antibacterial effect, is warming and the fibres do not lead to fatal strangulation as can occur with other materials. The Rodents are also pleased to eat a piece of apple now and then, however, do not offer them exotic foods such as peanuts or almonds.
Found animals or when does a Squirrel need help?
If a Squirrel is demonstrably in need (injured or orphaned), it may be secured and must be handed over to an experienced body as quickly as possible. We strongly advise against attempts to rear cute Squirrel offspring yourself, as they mostly fail and are luckily also prohibited by law. If young Squirrels seek the proximity of people, they are in need and are not, as often incorrectly assumed, rabid. In Germany, there is not a single known case of a squirrel with rabies. According to the RKI (Robert Koch Institut), Germany has been free from terrestrial rabies since 2008.
If you should find a squirrel that is injured or in need of help, please contact one of the following associations and organisations immediately:
Eichhörnchenhilfe Stuttgart’s rescue stations cover the Stuttgart, Esslingen, Waiblingen, Ludwigsburg and Pforzheim area. Emergency calls are coordinated by the emergency telephone of Eichhörnchenschutz e.V. in Munich:
Telephone +49 (0)176 55376864
Eichhörnchen Notruf e. V. operates throughout Germany: