flying squirel nest in my outboard, what to do?

[chris.brock]

I went to do a top end oil change on my outboard. The outboard is on the boat and it's parked in the bush for the winter.

When I took the cowl off there's a nest with 3 young flying squirrels on the fly wheel cover. They look young, pink, no hair, they look blind. I just put the cowl back on and left.

I know a lot of guys would just say drown the buggers and be done with it, that's not my style.

Anybody have any insight on how to relocate them and give them a chance for survival?

funny, my Mom wanted to see the little critters, when I went back and opened the cowl the mom squirrel was in there and came blasting out like a bat out of hell, lol

[tomO]

You might put them in a covered box under the boat or near it so she can find them.

 

 

[grimsbylander]

You should name them Corona, Wuhan and Virus because just like us, now you can’t launch your boat now either. 😂

Seriously, I get it Chris. I have a tree that I had planned to take down this spring but there’s a squirrel’s nest in it. No idea if they’re using it but would hate to drop it and find what you found. 

[Fisherman]

Well, chewed wiring or worse, enie, meenie, minee, mo.  Maybe if you put some peppermint oil in there, she will move them out without you being the executioner.

[LostAnotherOne]

I recommend Chris you call a wildlife sanctuary and get there advice.  There's several locations in Ontario that specializes in squirrels.  Good luck

http://www.ontariowildliferescue.ca/

 

[chris.brock]

on the evolutionary scale I put flying squirrels at the top, in the middle are red squirrels, and at the bottom are the big black and grey ones found mostly in the city

thanks guys, yeah Fisherman, when I saw the nest I immediately freaked and looked to see if wires and plastic stuff was chewed but it looked like fine, looks like they just wanted the shelter

my wife was googling, if you have to care for them at that age you've got to feed them with a syringe every 2 hours, 24 hours a day, lol

I'm leaning towards Tom's train of thought, I'll build a birdhouse basically, use an extension ladder and get it high up in a close by tree and relocate the nest and Hubei, Wuhan and huawei  in there one morning and hope for the best

 

Edited April 20, 2020 by chris.brock

[Rizzo]

Good luck guessing when momma is gone to perform the transfer!

[Fish Farmer]

My question is, how did they get in there in the first place with the cowling on the motor?

Just move the nest to the ground and let nature do it's course, if you don't they'll be back in there year after year.

 

[Gil Levesque]

Fyi, flying squirrels are mostly nocturnal! Cheers

[fish_fishburn]

Be  careful. I was attacked by a flying squirrel once and it didnt end well, for me.lol

 

[AKRISONER]

Ya I think I would try and stink them out and hope she moves them.

youll feel far more guilty if you handle them and she rejects them and leaves them to starve to death. A sudden death would be more humane for them then.

[OhioFisherman]

If this youtube video is any help, it shows a relocation. Those ones you have sound very young if they are hairless, there are more videos on youtube. LOL Help squirrels or go nuts?

(4) Flying Squirrel Nest 5 babies relocation mother returns - YouTube

Edited April 20, 2020 by OhioFisherman

[Old Man]

Make sure you get moose too! 😉

[dave524]

5 hours ago, Old Man said:

Make sure you get moose too! 😉

gotta be over 50 to get that 😀

[Lord Letto]

23 hours ago, dave524 said:

gotta be over 50 to get that 😀

I'm 31 & if i'm not mistaken it's from Rocky & Bullwinkle.

[misfish]

5 minutes ago, Lord Letto said:

I'm 31 & if i'm not mistaken it's from Rocky & Bullwinkle.

Yes, but you were watching reruns ,,,,,,,,,, LOL

[Rattletrap2]

Squirrels = Rats that live in trees!

I had a Red Squirrel move under the hood of my vehicle where it promptly ate all the fuel injection tubing! That one ain't gonna be back.

[chris.brock]

4 hours ago, Rattletrap2 said:

Squirrels = Rats that live in trees!

I had a Red Squirrel move under the hood of my vehicle where it promptly ate all the fuel injection tubing! That one ain't gonna be back.

It's like swatting a mosquito, yeah, that one ain't gonna be back, but there's plenty of others that will

damn, if we'd just hurry up and make everything concrete and asphalt we wouldn't have these problems

Edited April 22, 2020 by chris.brock

[BillM]

LOL!

[chris.brock]

18 minutes ago, BillM said:

LOL!

lol what?

 

[pics]

I am not familiar with the regulations but they are considered a species at risk in Ontario..

[GBW]

2 hours ago, chris.brock said:

lol what?

 

I'm going to guess Bill's lol was to  the following: damn, if we'd just hurry up and make everything concrete and asphalt we wouldn't have these problems

[north560]

Here's what you do put a live trap near by trap her, then have a nest box made move that nest and babies into it and when you catch her open door at the hole to the nest box and she will go in and hopefully stay there. Then later in the summer trap and relocate the bunch make sure its over 20 miles away they do come back.😄😄

[AKRISONER]

update? what did you end up doing Chris?

[GBW]

20 minutes ago, AKRISONER said:

update? what did you end up doing Chris?