Squirrels are a common backyard wild beast – gray squirrels and fox squirrels are native to Kansas, while cherry squirrels are an eastern species.

We receive many calls about them for various issues – from questions nigh tiny neonate babies blown from their nests on stormy days to injured adults striking by cars to pests chewing holes in eaves and living in attics.

Newborn squirrels are hairless and about the size of a mouse. Optics open from 21 to 28 days depending on the subspecies.

Most people have a difficult time identifying neonate squirrels and might think they've found a baby mouse. A squirrel'southward head is about the same size equally the torso, the hands are quite big, and the tail is very thick compared to a mouse, which has a tiny head, hands, and tail. Also, a squirrel's muzzle is thick, not tapered like that of a mouse.

In years with mild winters, squirrels are built-in every bit early as the terminal weeks of Feb. Females have i litter their first season and two each season thereafter. The 2nd round can arrive as late as the last week of November.

The weaning process begins at viii to x weeks and squirrels are contained at 16 to 18 weeks.

Offspring of tardily litters sometimes stay with their mother until the following bound. Grey squirrel females may live with their mothers their entire lives in an extended family, raising their babies alongside their female parent'due south subsequent offspring.

Baby squirrel – To rescue or not to rescue

Fell from Nest, Nest Destroyed, Tree Trimmed

Please practise the following – Squirrels are very skillful mothers, and mom should think the baby, even if she detects human scent. Follow these steps to help baby.  Mother squirrels make extra nests as a backup if the nursery nest becomes overcrowded, damaged, or infested with parasites. Just considering one nest has been destroyed doesn't hateful that they don't take a home.  If the babies did not get injured from the autumn (no bruises/scrapes/cuts/head injury), the mother should call up them. She often has another nest to which she tin can motility them.

  • Footstep Ane: Warm the Baby

Ziploc bag: Fill a Ziploc bag with warm (not hot) water, put it within another Ziploc bag – the double bag guards against leaks and prevents the animal from getting wet and chilled. Encompass the bag with a pocket-sized non-terrycloth towel, fleece fabric, or t-shirt and place the baby on it.

Rice purse: You lot tin can too fill a sock or knee-high pantyhose with uncooked dry rice. Microwave the rice-filled sock for xxx to lx seconds. This estrus source will last nearly 20 to 30 minutes. Identify the rice sock in the container under the towel, and identify the brute on or near it, but non directly in contact with the rice sock.

  • Step Two: Wait for Mom

If it is not raining or snowing, after the baby is warmed, place information technology on a towel in a shallow box or box lid (two to three inches tall) at the base of operations of the tree where it was found. If cats or dogs are present, use a ladder to get as loftier equally possible and boom the container onto the tree. Walk abroad and refrain from checking on them. Yous may non view yourself equally a predator, but a female parent squirrel does, and she won't go near those babies because she doesn't want you to know their location

Important: Do not put baby in a deep box or container. Mom volition perceive this as a trap and will not retrieve the babies.

If the temperature is absurd or if the baby is hairless, you lot volition need to put the Ziploc/rice purse with it. If information technology is non squeaking, you may take to pinch its tail to become a squeak. This tells mom the location of the baby and that it needs help. You may also find a "squirrel distress sound on YouTube and play it to pique mom'southward curiosity. Exit the surface area and watch from a window to encounter if mom retrieves it. Give her the entire mean solar day. Never leave a baby out past dusk, because squirrels aren't active after dusk. If the baby isn't retrieved past dusk.  Bring it in, and keep to Step Three.

  • Footstep 3: Warm, Dark, and Placidity

If mom does not come back, identify the baby in a shoe box or other small container with several pocket-sized air holes in the lid and a minor not-terrycloth towel, fleece textile, or t-shirt in the bottom. Keep it warm, nighttime, and quiet. Tape the lid down and so the baby cannot escape.

Heating Pad: If you take a heating pad, set to low and place the box half on/off the pad, so infant can move away from the heat if needed.

Rehydrate if necessary using unflavored Pedialyte

Echo Step One at dawn the next day.

Mother squirrels make actress nests every bit a fill-in if the nursery nest becomes overcrowded, damaged, or infested with parasites. Merely because ane nest has been destroyed doesn't mean that they don't accept a domicile. Give mom an opportunity to relocate her young.

Mother should return, remember babies one past one, and move to alternate nest site. Occasionally, mom volition get out just one baby. This is probably done considering she's exhausted and tin can't count.

Until tree trimming is done and everyone has left, keep the babies safely inside. Follow the aforementioned instructions equally above in Warm, Dark, and Serenity.

If the mother hasn't retrieved the babe in 24 hours she is NOT GOING Likewise and y'all need to contact OWL.

What NOT to DO

  • Do NOT Feed

If the baby is hungry it volition cry in distress and mom will have a amend chance of locating it by the audio.  If it has a full belly and is quiet the chances of her retrieving the babe are minimized.  Delight practice non feed the squirrel whatsoever formula. Information technology needs 24 hours of re-hydrating fluids before it receives formula. At that place are various formulas on the Internet, and while some are proficient, most are non. Licensed rehabilitators know the proper nutrient, amount, and method for feeding baby squirrels. If you feed them incorrectly, fluids can get in their lungs and cause pneumonia, which tin be fatal. About often, it is meliorate to practice nothing than to do something incorrectly. The nearly important thing is to keep the baby warm.

  • Practice NOT Raise

We oftentimes receive baby squirrels that people have tried to heighten themselves. They unremarkably have problems such as bloat, diarrhea, hair loss, pneumonia, and metabolic bone disease. They likewise have been habituated to humans, which means release back into the wild is difficult or impossible. We never raise a babe fauna by itself – squirrels (and other babies) are always properly socialized with their own kind.

Cats

Cats accept mouths full of bacteria that volition kill a squirrel in a short time. All wildlife caught by a cat need to exist brought in for medication and rehabilitation, even if you can't see wounds.

Dogs

If a dog brings y'all an animal bring it in immediately.  Dogs have powerful jaws that can create crushing injuries.

Signs of Injuries

If you notice whatsoever of these issues, contact OWL every bit soon every bit possible:

If an independent squirrel is easily captured, it's usually a sign that it needs attending. Developed squirrels are very dangerous even when severely injured.  They have large teeth, and if they bite you, they'll go out deep puncture wounds. Any injured adult squirrel should exist treated with the utmost respect.

  • Has been in cat's or dog's mouth, even if there are no visible wounds.
  • Broken limb.
  • Cuts/scrapes/bruises.
  • Cold and lethargic.
  • Difficulty breathing, gasping, gurgling.
  • Coat disordered, patchy.
  • Head tilt.
  • Odd behavior, such as circling or falling over.
  • It is lying on the ground injured or otherwise unable to run away.

A baby squirrel should non be on the footing until it has a big bushy tail but like its parent. If you discover one without a big bushy tail, it needs assist. In the post-obit cases, the baby squirrel needs to be taken to OWL:

  • It runs up to you in the 1000 or runs up your pants.
  • It is emitting a loftier-pitched squeaking distress phone call.
  • It has been caught by a true cat or dog (fifty-fifty if there are no visible wounds).
  • It is lying on the ground injured or otherwise unable to run away.
  • It is covered with fleas, flies, or fly eggs.
  • If you find a baby squirrel and none of the in a higher place scenarios apply, it may accept just fallen from its nest.  Squirrels are very practiced mothers and should call back the baby fifty-fifty if human scent is on the baby.

Please practice not feed the squirrel whatever formula.  It needs 24 hours of rehydrating fluids before you feed it.  At that place are diverse formulas on the Internet, and while some are good, most are not.  Licensed rehabilitators know the proper nutrient, the proper amount, and the proper way to feed infant squirrels.  If you feed them incorrectly, fluids tin can get in their lungs and crusade pneumonia

Signs of a Truthful Orphan

  • Tiny and hairless.
  • No adult nearly or adult squirrel found dead in area.
  • Common cold and lethargic.
  • Covered with parasites, such as fleas or flies or fly eggs (resembles tiny grains of rice in clusters).
  • High-pitched squeaking distress call
  • Runs upwardly to you in the yard or runs upwardly your pant leg. This indicates desperation for food.

Mutual Concerns

Any squirrel defenseless by a dog or true cat needs to be brought into united states. Squirrels caught by cats need special attention. Cats have mouths full of bacteria that will kill a small animal in a short fourth dimension. All squirrels caught by a true cat demand to exist brought in for medication and rehabilitation, even if y'all can't run across wounds.

Mange in outdoor wild fauna is not an uncommon problem.  Animals take patches of no fur over the back of their head, shoulders and back with minor cases and for serious cases you lot will come across the animal go debilitated and unable to fend for itself. The handling is fairly like shooting fish in a barrel but caution needs to be taken to not overdose the fauna or surrounding animals.  Outdoor squirrels can be dosed with a piece of walnut meat and a very small amount of Ivermectin paste equus caballus dewormer.  The Paste for horses is actually much safer to use on squirrels than the injectable method of Ivermectin.  When treating outdoor squirrels you must be very observant of the squirrel you are treating.  Put a very minor amount of the paste (about the size of a very small-scale pea, and I mean very small) on a piece of walnut meat will most likely do the trick if the squirrel eats information technology.  Re-treat in 10 days if possible only many times the initial dose is enough.  If the animal is already debilitated and not mobile it will need to be captured and brought to OWL.  If the squirrel can be treated correctly while living outside than that is the best situation for all. Ivermectin Equine Paste is bachelor at virtually feed stores and Tractor Supply Stores.

The First Treatment for Stupor or Injury: Warm, Dark, and Placidity

If yous need to bring an fauna into OWL, the most important matter you must do is to keep them warm and quiet.

Container

Put in a shoebox or other container with several small air holes in the lid and a not-terrycloth towel, fleece cloth, or t-shirt in the bottom. Record the lid to keep secure.

Developed animals should be contained in a canis familiaris or true cat kennel.

Heating Pad

If you lot have a heating pad, fix to low and place the box half on/off the pad, so the animal can motility away from the heat if needed.  OR

Rice Bag

Make full a sock or knee-loftier pantyhose with uncooked dry rice. Microwave the rice-filled sock for xxx to 60 seconds. This heat source volition final about 20 to thirty minutes. Place the rice sock in the container under the towel, and place the animal on or almost information technology, merely non directly in contact with the rice sock.  OR

Ziploc pocketbook

Fill a Ziploc bag with warm (not hot) water, put it inside another Ziploc bag, and place under the towel next to the fauna. The double pocketbook guards against leaks and prevents the animal from getting wet and chilled.

Food/Water

Do not attempt to feed or give anything to drink. The incorrect foods can quickly cause enteritis (diarrhea) and expiry. Keeping the animal warm is more important than feeding it.