The Kobel is an important place in a squirrel's life. Often several dwellings are built, which is related to the animals' lifestyle. You can build such a nest yourself and offer it to climbing artists in the garden.
What is a Squirrel Kobel?
A squirrel cob is a round nest made of branches, twigs and leaves and placed in forks of branches. Squirrels raise their young in the spherical cobel and use it as a place to sleep. Typically a Kobel has two loopholes for a quick escape route.
Squirrels build nests
The squirrel's nest is a hollow spherical structure that is often placed in a fork of a branch or at the base of a branch. They are located at heights of more than six meters. Squirrels usually enter their homes from below, which is why a loophole faces downwards.
The kobels have two loopholes so that the animals can fly out of the second opening if an entrance is in danger or under siege. A Kobel is finished after three to five days. Squirrels build multiple nests because they serve different functions.
Quick overview:
- Outer diameter: about 30 to 50 centimeters
- Inside diameter: about 15 to 20 centimeters
- Basic material: twigs, needles and leaves
- Interior furnishings: moss, leaves, grass, pieces of bark, feathers
Eichhörnchen baut Kobel
Raising young
After a gestation period of 38 days, the females give birth to one to six young in the main cob. It is quite common for the nest to be infested with parasites. Therefore, the mothers move more frequently, so that their two to eight nests are used almost simultaneously. When threatened, the females react very quickly. They carry their young away in the so-called stretcher mode in order to bring them to a safe shelter.
Excursus
Boy development
The young animals are deaf, blind and completely naked when they are born. They weigh about 8.5 grams and are six centimeters long. It takes three weeks until the first fluff of hair appears. They only open their eyes after 30 to 32 days.
At the age of six to eight weeks, the little ones go exploring for the first time and leave the nest. The mother suckles her offspring until they are ten weeks old. Nevertheless, young animals remain close to the mother's kobel for a few months.
Sleeping place
Once the young have left the nest, the kobels do not become useless. They continue to be used by animals because squirrels take their afternoon naps and rest here. However, different nests are used during the day and at night. The daily rest phases are held in the shade rooms, while other sleeping rooms are used at night.
Winter rest
The Kobel is built in such a way that hardly any water can penetrate into the interior. The nests have thick walls and are well padded on the inside, so they offer good protection against the cold in winter. So that the animals don't get cold, they snuggle up in their bushy tails.
| Body temperature | Food intake in winter | Animals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| hibernation | sinks | no | Hedgehog, bat |
| Winter torpor | sinks | no | Lizards, snails |
| Winter rest | stays the same | yes | Raccoon, brown bear |
In winter, squirrels hibernate in Kobel
Social behavior
Squirrels are generally solitary creatures, so each animal uses its own bowl. They only meet during mating season. Occasionally it happens that the rodents live socially outside of the breeding season and several animals use the same nest. It has also been observed that squirrels take care of sick members of their species.
Living space wanted
As the natural habitats of these climbing artists are increasingly being destroyed, the animals are looking for alternatives. This pushes them into urban areas, where squirrels settle in gardens and parks. It is not uncommon for the animals to build a nest on the balcony. To protect the animals, you should not remove this.
maintain respect
Carefully examine flower pots with dead plants from last year. Squirrels like to use the coarse plant material to build a nest in the protection of the balcony box. It even happens that the animals settle down under blankets, pillows and cushions. Disturb the squirrels as little as possible. Since the animals are very clean, the mother will soon move into an alternative nest with her offspring.
Squirrels can quickly become friendly. Make sure that the animals do not get too used to human proximity.
What to do if the nest was accidentally destroyed?
In this case you can form a replacement nest. Take an old towel and place the hatchlings in it. The mother is not bothered by the human smell that is in the fur of the young animals. Slide a hot water bottle under the towel nest because the young ones cool down very quickly. If the mother finds her offspring in the replacement nest, she will place each young animal individually in a replacement nest.
Buy Kobel
If you want to provide the animals with a safe shelter, buying a ready-made house is a good idea. But the products don't always keep what they promise and so that both you and the rodents are happy, you should take a few aspects into account when making your purchase decision.
What to pay attention to?
Many dwellings look beautiful because they have been painted in different colors. However, such paintwork poses he alth risks. The better choice is models made from untreated materials. Even if water gets in later, natural wood is more suitable. It can breathe and automatically ensures that moisture can escape again. Impregnated Kobel are completely unsuitable.
| suitable | unsuitable | |
|---|---|---|
| Material | Softwoods | Metal, Plastic |
| Entrances | two to three openings | a loophole |
| Lasur | linseed oil, resin oil, beeswax | chemical coatings |
Build your own Kobel
If you don't like a ready-made model, you can build a Kobel according to the instructions with a little skill, minimal time and little material. You will need a sturdy wooden board made of maple, beech or pine, a few nails and screws and tools for assembly. The model can be changed and designed individually as desired. Use the construction plan as an initial guide to how a Kobel should ideally be constructed.
Construction instructions
The base area of the Kobel is 26 x 26 centimeters, while the roof panel is slightly longer at 30 x 26 centimeters. It will later protrude slightly and ensure that no rainwater can flow through the loopholes. You also need four side walls measuring 26 x 30 centimeters. Draw a loophole with a diameter of seven centimeters on each of two of these side plates. Pregnant females can also crawl through here without any problems.
Tip
Attach the roof panel to the back wall using a hinge. So you can easily open and clean the bowl.
Weather protection
You can leave the house natural or treat it with a nature-friendly glaze. If you don't apply protection, the Kobel will be exposed to the weather and will not last as long. Glazes form a water-repellent layer on the wood and preserve its breathability. If water penetrates into the interior, the moisture can escape through the wood.
Our squirrel will soon be ready for viewings with the real estate agent squirrel. It's got paint on it, it's roughly attached, now all that's missing are two more fasteners, weather protection on the list side and a little interior fittings. And then a family of squirrels would like to move in. ☺ kobel eichhörnchenkobel sqirrelhouse sqirrelskobel garten49 schreber49 parzelle49 schrebergartenbielefeld kleingarteninbielefeld schrebergarten kleingarten allotmentgarden
A post shared by schreber49 (@schreber49) on Jul 13, 2018 at 9:15am PDT
Coziness
A squirrel in Kobel likes it cozy, soft and warm. That's why they equip their nests with warming and cushioning materials. These do not have to be of natural origin. The climbing artists often use fabrics and clothing from the clothesline. To protect your clothing, you should offer the animals used fabric scraps in a basket.
Tip
You can also help out a little and fill the self-made bowl with moss, soft pieces of bark and leaves.
Aligning and hanging
Squirrels like lofty heights where they are largely safe from predators. The lower the dwelling is, the greater the risk of being attacked by cats or martens.
This is how the Kobel is hung:
- Height from five to six meters
- rear/lower loophole faces main trunk
- Attach the box slightly tilted forward
Frequently asked questions
What is a Squirrel Kobel?
The squirrel's nest is called Kobel. The rodents build several of these nests that fulfill different functions. They use the Kobel for their afternoon rest and to sleep at night. Young animals are born and raised in the protection of the spherical nests.
What does a squirrel's goblin look like?
The nests are round and usually have two and sometimes several entrances. These loopholes not only serve as entrances and exits but also ensure an escape route. The basic structure is formed by stronger branches and twigs, the spaces between which are stuffed with leaves. The interior is padded with soft materials such as moss, leaves or soft pieces of bark. This creates an almost waterproof and warming nest.
When does the squirrel go to his coop?
The so-called shadow nests serve as a place of refuge during the day where the animals take their afternoon nap. At night they go to the sleeping quarters. There is also a main kobel, which is also used to raise the young animals. Squirrels move constantly and use their nests almost simultaneously to prevent parasites from spreading.
What to do if a squirrel fell out of the nest?
It can happen that a young animal falls to the ground during its first attempts to climb. As a rule, the mother takes care of her offspring and brings them back to the safe nest. If you find a young animal, you should observe it for some time. Intervention is only necessary if the mother does not rush to help. Young squirrels cool down very quickly. Wrap the little one in a towel and give him water.
