Baby squirrels who fall from their nests can be saved

Melissa the squirrel baby.

When a Fairfax resident had a tree cut down, and a baby squirrel was found in a nest that had fallen to the ground, she contacted the Wildlife Rescue League to find out how to keep it alive.

As the area was experiencing freezing temperatures at the time, she kept it warm, waited to see if the mother would turn up, and when she didn’t, brought it to Helen Stidham, a squirrel and opossum rescue intern in Manassas.

Three weeks later, little Melissa – the squirrel was named for the rescuer – is thriving.

“Tree cutters, arborists, or anyone who finds a baby squirrel that is injured should take it to a rehabber right away,” Stidham says. If the weather is good, you can keep it outside where it was found, watch it to make sure a predator doesn’t get it, and wait for the mother to come looking for it.

“Baby squirrels are wonderful little creatures,” says Stidham, who currently has six of them in cages in her home. Their eyes don’t open until they’re four weeks old. At that point, they can start eating solid food, including Cheerios, apple, and “rodent block,” a food product with lots of nutrients.

When they get a little older, Stidham transfers the babies to a five-by-eight-foot release cage outdoors with their bedding and tree limbs so they can practice climbing. After a couple of weeks, the door is left open so they cam come in and out on their own. By 14 to 16 weeks, they’re out for good.

Stidham got interested in squirrels as she enjoyed watching them in her half-acre, partly wooded yard. When two babies fell out of their nest, she put them back but they fell out again. At that point, she started learning how to care for them.

She has a permit to work with a licensed wildlife rehabilitator while working toward earning her own license. You can search the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries’ list of  licensed rehabilitators here.

According to the Wildlife Rescue League, squirrels have two litters a year – from February to April and again from July to September – with about two to five babies per litter.

Squirrels build nests in attics, chimneys, tree trunks, or leaf nests in trees. Typically, they build two or three nests so they can move their babies if a nest is threatened or becomes infested with fleas.

Anyone who finds a baby squirrel should call the Wildlife Rescue League’s helpline right away: 703-440-0800, if the baby is at risk and if:

• the weather is cold and the baby is very cold and not moving.
• it is very small and hasn’t grown fur yet.
• The weather is very warm, as maggots can infest baby squirrels quickly.
• One or more small babies are found by themselves without nesting material.

Meanwhile, it’s important to stabilize the baby by wrapping it in a heating pad on low heat, removing it from extreme hot weather, and keeping it in a dark, quiet place. Don’t give it food or water.

If the baby squirrel doesn’t need immediate help, the league suggests putting in a shoebox lined with soft materials near where the nest is and watch to see if the mother comes looking for it. Keep dogs and cats away from the box and keep watch so predators don’t come near. If the mother doesn’t come back within two hours or when it gets dark, call the helpline.