Squirrel House and Squirrel Feeders: What to Buy and Where

A good squirrel house is a tall wooden box with a 3 in (7.5 cm) entrance on the side, hung more than 15 ft (4.5 m) up a mature tree, according to Purdue University Extension plans. For feeding, a wooden lift-lid squirrel feeder box on a tree trunk, stocked with raw hazelnuts or walnuts in the shell, is the setup most squirrel groups recommend.

It is written for yards with eastern gray, fox, American red and flying squirrels, with a section for UK readers feeding red squirrels.

Quick picks

• Best overall: a wooden lift-lid squirrel feeder box, mounted on a trunk and filled with in-shell nuts.
• Best metal squirrel feeder: a hinged-lid metal box such as the Duncraft Squirrel Lunch Box, for squirrels that chew through wood.
• Best for watching: a squirrel picnic-table feeder with a corn spike or nut dish.
• Best squirrel house: a wooden squirrel nesting box with a 3 in side entrance, sized to extension-service plans.
• Best squirrel food: raw, unsalted hazelnuts and walnuts in the shell.

What are the key squirrel house and feeder specs at a glance?

Feeder at least 6.5 ft (2 m) up, nest box 10-20 ft (3-6 m) or higher, entrance about 3 in (7.5 cm), and the box up by fall. Sources differ on height and direction, so each row names its source.

How we chose

We have not used these products in our own yard; this guide is research-based. We started from published guidance by Purdue University Extension, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels, NatureScot, the RSPB, the Bavarian groups LBV and BUND Naturschutz, the Deutsche Wildtier Stiftung, Zodion and the Belgian charity Protection des Oiseaux, and compared their size, food and placement rules with manufacturer and retailer listings. We then ranked each design against five safety criteria from that guidance:

• Edge-free plexiglass: NABU Lower Saxony recommends a window pane without sharp edges, as reported by t-online.
• A lid squirrels can lift: it keeps rain and most birds out.
• Drainage and vent holes: the LBV plan drills 5 mm holes in the floor.
• Untreated hardwood or cedar: squirrels chew what they live in.
• A removable roof or front: so you can clean it once it is empty.

Where no single model clearly stands out, we describe the product type and the measurements to check. The one named product, the Duncraft Squirrel Lunch Box, was listed on the maker’s site when we checked, and its size comes from that page.

What is the difference between a squirrel feeder, a squirrel house and a feeding station?

A squirrel feeder holds food, a squirrel house is a den for sleeping and raising young, and a feeding station is simply a spot where you put several feeders together. They do different jobs, and a combined squirrel house and feeder in one box rarely does either job well.

Why keep them apart? Squirrels don’t store food in their dreys, according to the Deutsche Wildtier Stiftung, and a busy feeder draws rivals and rats to the door of a nest. Hang the two in different trees.

What should you feed squirrels, and what should you never feed them?

Feed raw, unsalted nuts in their shells, mainly hazelnuts and walnuts, with sweet chestnuts and beechnuts when you can get them. Skip peanuts, almonds, salted or roasted nuts, bread, raisins and any prepared food or leftovers.

Two practical points. First, the nuts sold as “squirrel food” in many wildlife stores are mostly peanuts and corn; read the bag before you buy. Second, give water. A shallow dish of clean water near the feeder helps in dry spells and freezing weather, and it is often the thing squirrels need most.

Wooden lift-lid squirrel feeder box: best overall

What it is: A small box, usually with a glass or acrylic front, mounted on a tree trunk or post. The lid is hinged, and squirrels quickly learn to lift it with their head. It is the classic squirrel box feeder.

Why it works: The lid keeps rain off the food and stops most birds from emptying it. Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels recommends exactly this design, a feeder box with a flip-top lid, and says to fill it no more than one third so food stays fresh. BUND Naturschutz in Bavaria publishes a build plan for a squirrel feeding box measuring 14-20 cm (about 6-8 in) deep, 15-25 cm (6-10 in) wide and 14-20 cm high, which is a useful size check for anything you buy.

What to check: Untreated wood, drainage holes or a raised floor, a lid that opens fully, and screws rather than staples. Cedar and hardwood last longer than soft pine.

• Best for: Most yards, and UK readers looking for a red squirrel feeder.
• Skip it if: Your squirrels chew the lid edge within weeks; switch to metal.

See available listings on Amazon

Metal lift-lid squirrel feeder: best for chewers

What it is: The same lift-lid idea built from metal. The Duncraft Squirrel Lunch Box is a current example: a metal roof with a plastic hopper and a clear plexiglass window, measuring 7 x 11 x 10 in (18 x 28 x 25 cm), with a hinged lid squirrels lift to reach in. It mounts flat to a tree or post.

Why it stands out: Gray and fox squirrels can gnaw through a soft wooden lid, and a metal squirrel feeder simply lasts longer. The window shows you when it needs refilling without opening it.

Drawbacks: Metal and plastic look less natural than wood, and a metal body warms in full sun, so mount it in shade.

• Best for: Yards where wooden boxes get chewed.
• Skip it if: You want the most natural look.

See available listings on Amazon

Squirrel picnic-table feeder: best for watching

What it is: A small wooden table, often with a bench, that screws to a fence or tree. A spike holds a dried corn cob, or a shallow dish holds nuts.

Why people like it: Squirrels sit at the table to eat, which makes it the most entertaining design to watch from a window. It is cheap and easy to clean.

Drawbacks: There is no lid, so birds, raccoons and rats can help themselves, and food gets wet. Offer only what squirrels finish in a few hours, and take leftovers in at dusk.

• Best for: Watching squirrels close to the house and teaching kids about wildlife.
• Skip it if: You have seen rats in your yard.

See available listings on Amazon

Wooden squirrel nesting box: best squirrel house

What it is: A tall wooden box with a round entrance on the side, close to the trunk, and a front or roof that opens for cleaning. Squirrels use it as a winter den and as a nursery.

Size to check: Purdue University Extension gives a floor of 8 x 8 to 9 x 9 in (20-23 cm), a total height of 14-16 in (36-41 cm) and a 3 in (7.5 cm) entrance hole, placed on the side about 2.5 in from the tree and 10-12 in above the floor. The LBV’s build plan for a European squirrel box drills two openings with an 80 mm (about 3 in) hole saw, so a squirrel always has a second way out if a predator comes in.

What to check: Untreated boards about 3/4 in (15-20 mm) thick, as in the LBV plan, small drainage holes in the floor, a hinged front or roof, and a solid mounting batten. Many squirrel houses for sale are decorative boxes with a front hole and no inside measurements; pass on those.

• Best for: Yards with mature trees and resident gray, fox or American red squirrels.
• Skip it if: You cannot hang it at least 15 ft (4.5 m) up.

See available listings on Amazon

In-shell hazelnuts and walnuts: best squirrel food

What it is: Plain, raw hazelnuts (filberts) or walnuts still in their shells, bought as people food or in bulk.

Why it works: These are the foods conservation groups name first. Shells slow squirrels down, keep their teeth working and make the food useless to most birds, so less disappears to jays and grackles.

What to avoid: Anything salted, roasted, honey-coated or seasoned, and mixes built around peanuts. Store nuts cool and dry and throw out anything moldy; our guide to storing bird seed applies to nuts too.

• Best for: Every squirrel feeder.
• Skip it if: You have a tree nut allergy in the household; wear gloves or ask someone else to refill.

See available listings on Amazon

Comparison table

How big should a squirrel house be, and how big is the entrance hole?

For gray and fox squirrels, a floor of about 8-9 in (20-23 cm) square, a height of 14-16 in (36-41 cm) and a 3 in (7.5 cm) entrance.

The American red squirrel is smaller than a gray, so a gray squirrel box suits it as well. Purdue also suggests filling the box about halfway with dry leaves so squirrels can finish the nest themselves.

What about flying squirrels?

Southern flying squirrels need their own much smaller box: a 1 1/4 in (3.2 cm) hole, 6 in above the floor, hung 10-30 ft (3-9 m) up, per Purdue Extension. They are active at night, so a box may be in use long before you notice.

How high should you hang a squirrel house and a squirrel feeder?

Hang the squirrel house more than 15 ft (4.5 m) up a tree at least 10 in (25 cm) across, and put the feeder at least 6.5 ft (2 m) up on a trunk, well away from your bird feeders.

Squirrel house: Purdue suggests more than 15 ft, and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources goes further, recommending at least 30 ft (9 m). In Europe, Protection des Oiseaux gives 3-6 m (10-20 ft) and Zodion at least 4 m (13 ft).

Squirrel feeder: Zodion suggests at least 2 m (about 6.5 ft), so cats cannot easily ambush squirrels. Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels says to place food against a wall or tree with cover nearby, and not near busy roads, because feeding can draw squirrels across traffic.

Distance from bird feeders: There is no official figure. Put the squirrel feeding station on the far side of the yard, ideally in a different tree, so squirrels have an easy meal of their own and less reason to raid seed.

Which direction should a squirrel house face?

Away from the prevailing wind and rain. In North America, Purdue and the Ohio DNR say east or south; in Europe, Zodion and Protection des Oiseaux say not southwest or west, and birdfood.co.uk suggests east or southeast.

The sources differ because weather comes from different directions, but they agree on the aim: a dry den. Where your storms usually come from the west, an east-facing entrance satisfies every source above.

How long does it take squirrels to move into a squirrel house?

Anywhere from a few weeks to a full season or more, according to the BigBatBox squirrel house guide, a retailer guide. A box hung in fall has the best chance of winter use; leave it in place rather than moving it after a quiet month.

How do you keep rats away from a squirrel feeding station?

Keep food off the ground. Use a lift-lid box mounted high on a trunk, put out only what squirrels finish in a day or two, and pick up shells and dropped nuts every few days.

Rats climb rough trunks and clean up anything that falls, so a hard surface under the feeder helps. Avoid open tables and ground dishes where rats are known. Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels recommends small amounts every three or four days, which also stops squirrels depending on you. Our guide on keeping rats away from bird feeders covers the same rules in more detail.

When should you feed squirrels and put up a squirrel house?

Put up a squirrel house in fall, ready for winter, and feed most in late winter and early summer, when stored food runs out and new nuts are not yet ripe.

• September to October: Hang nesting boxes at the first cold weather, as Protection des Oiseaux advises. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources says squirrels use them most in winter.
• Late winter: Buried caches run low by February and March. This is when a feeder helps most.
• February to March: Southern flying squirrels start nesting, per Purdue Extension, and many tree squirrels have a first litter around this time.
• Late spring to summer: Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels calls summer the critical period, before the new crop of nuts and seeds is ripe. The Deutsche Wildtier Stiftung records a second breeding peak in summer, with litters of about four young.
• Autumn: Natural food is plentiful, so squirrels often ignore feeders for a few weeks. That is normal.

Clean the nesting box only when you are sure it is empty, as Zodion advises.

Do squirrels hibernate in winter?

No. Tree squirrels rest through cold spells but do not hibernate; the Deutsche Wildtier Stiftung notes that European red squirrels leave the drey for short periods each day to fetch stored food. That is why a dry box and a winter feeder both help.

What should you do with an injured or baby squirrel?

Watch first, from a distance. A young squirrel on the ground is often retrieved by its mother; young European red squirrels stay with her for about ten weeks, according to the Deutsche Wildtier Stiftung.

If it looks injured, weak or cold, call a licensed wildlife rehabilitator or your state wildlife agency and follow their instructions. Do not give cow’s milk or food on your own initiative.

Is a bird proof squirrel feeder possible?

Mostly, yes. A lift-lid box with nuts in the shell is close to bird proof, because most birds cannot lift the lid and cannot open a hazelnut.

Jays, woodpeckers and crows may still work it out. Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels advises using only flip-top feeders for squirrel food from May to October, during the bird breeding season. Keep sunflower and mixed seed out of a squirrel feeder; it brings birds in.

Do squirrel feeders with cameras or window feeders work?

We could not verify a dedicated squirrel feeder with camera as currently sold. Aim a separate wildlife camera at your lift-lid box instead; our roundup of bird feeder cameras explains mounting distance and power. Suction-cup window feeders are too small and weak for squirrels.

Can you feed red squirrels in the UK?

Yes, with care. Britain has about 287,000 red squirrels, around 80 percent of them in Scotland, according to NatureScot, and gray squirrels introduced from North America have replaced them across most of England and Wales.

The biggest risk is squirrelpox: grays carry it without harm, but it kills reds, and NatureScot calls it possibly the single greatest risk to red squirrels in Scotland. Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels says to stop feeding immediately if gray squirrels appear, to clean feeders weekly with an anti-viral disinfectant in squirrelpox areas, and never to hand-feed.

What are the most common mistakes?

• Buying a decorative squirrel house: small boxes with no stated size are too cramped to raise young.
• Hanging the house too low: below 15 ft, squirrels feel exposed and cats can reach the box.
• Feeding peanuts and seed mixes: cheap, but not what conservation groups recommend.
• Overfilling: a full box goes moldy in wet weather. Fill a third, refill often.
• Putting the squirrel feeder under the bird feeders: this trains squirrels to visit the bird feeders.
• Leaving spills on the ground: this feeds rats, not squirrels.
• Never cleaning: Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels cites RSPB advice to clean feeders weekly.
• Treated or painted wood inside a nesting box: squirrels chew it.

How does a squirrel feeder fit with keeping squirrels off bird feeders?

A squirrel feeder is the carrot; baffles and the right bird food are the stick. Start with the squirrel feeder in a separate tree, then protect the bird feeders. Our guide on keeping squirrels off bird feeders explains what actually works. A properly sized baffle, explained in squirrel baffles, stops most climbers, and a squirrel-proof bird feeder handles the rest. Switching the bird feeders to food squirrels won’t eat, such as safflower, removes their reason to try. For other mammals, see our hedgehog house guide.

So which squirrel feeder or squirrel house should you buy?

Buy a wooden lift-lid squirrel feeder box and a separate wooden squirrel house with a 3 in side entrance. Together they cover food and shelter, the two things squirrels look for in a yard.

Choose metal if your squirrels chew, add a picnic table only if you can take food in at night, and stock everything with raw in-shell nuts. Hang the house high in fall, keep the ground under the feeder clean, and keep the setup well away from your bird feeders.

Free printable: Download the squirrel nest box and feeder placement guide (PDF, 2 pages). No ads and no affiliate links; free to print and share.

Sources

• Purdue Extension: Nest Boxes for Wood Ducks and Other Wildlife (FNR-246-W)
• Ohio Department of Natural Resources: Nest Box Plans (Pub 419)
• Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels: Supplementary feeding of red squirrels (March 2026 update)
• NatureScot: Red squirrel
• RSPB: How and what to feed your garden birds
• BUND Naturschutz Nürnberg: Futterstelle für Eichhörnchen, Bauanleitung
• Zodion (formerly Zoogdiervereniging): Eekhoorn flyer
• Protection des Oiseaux: Fiche abri écureuil
• birdfood.co.uk: Where to hang a squirrel nest box
• BigBatBox (retailer guide): Squirrel House Guide
• t-online: Eichhörnchen, einen sicheren Futterplatz bieten (cites NABU Niedersachsen)
• Deutsche Wildtier Stiftung: Eichhörnchen