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Do Squirrels Make Nests in Trees? Dreys and Cavities Both

Squirrels build leaf dreys high in branch forks and also use tree cavities, which they prefer in winter. How to tell a drey from a bird nest.

By Zakaria 2 min read Save to Pinterest — opens Pinterest in a new tab
A fox squirrel on a thick tree limb high in the canopy
Photo: GeorgeB2, Pixabay Content License, via Pixabay
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Squirrels build in trees two different ways: a leaf drey in a branch fork, and a cavity den in the trunk — and they prefer the cavity whenever one is available.

Drey against den

leaf dreycavity den
StructureWoven ball of leafy twigs, lined with moss, grass, furHollow in trunk or limb
Size12–20 in acrossVaries
WarmthModerate; leaks in heavy rainMuch warmer and drier
Used forSummer, resting, backupWinter, litters
AvailabilityBuilds one anywhereNeeds an old wound or woodpecker hole

Telling a drey from a bird nest

  • Enclosed, not a cup. A drey is a sealed ball with a side entrance
  • Leaves still attached to twigs, giving a shaggy look
  • Tucked into a fork near the trunk, not out on a limb
  • Survives winter. If it is still there with the leaves off the tree, it is almost certainly a drey

Why you rarely see cavities in a suburban tree

Cavities form where a limb has died and rotted out, or where a woodpecker has excavated. Managed trees get dead wood removed, so the holes never develop — which is why dreys dominate in gardens and parks and cavities dominate in old woodland.

Do not clear a drey in late winter or mid-summer

Those are the two litter periods. Removing a drey then can kill young, and the adults simply build another in the same tree. If the problem is squirrels on your roof, cut the overhanging branches back by eight to ten feet and seal the building’s entry points instead.

Common questions

Do squirrels build nests in trees?

Yes, two kinds. A drey is a ball of leaves and twigs, roughly the size of a football, wedged in a branch fork usually 20 to 40 feet up. A den is a hollow cavity in the trunk or a large limb, often an old woodpecker hole enlarged. Squirrels build and use both, and most individuals maintain several at once — typically one main nest and one or two spares they can move a litter to.

How do you tell a squirrel drey from a bird nest?

A drey is a solid enclosed ball with no open cup, built mainly of leaves still attached to twigs, and it looks untidy and bulky from below. A bird nest is an open cup, usually much smaller, and made of finer material. Dreys also sit tucked into a branch fork close to the trunk rather than balanced out on a limb, and they survive winter storms, which most leaf-built bird nests do not.

Do squirrels prefer cavities to leaf nests?

In winter, yes, clearly. A tree cavity is warmer, drier and far better protected from wind and predators, and squirrels with access to one will use it for the coldest months and for raising litters. Leaf dreys are the fallback where cavities are scarce, which in managed suburban trees is most of the time — dead limbs get removed, so the holes never form.

How high do squirrels nest?

Usually 20 to 40 feet, and generally in the upper third of the tree where branches fork near the trunk. Height is predator avoidance; the trunk proximity is stability in wind. In a short tree they will nest lower, and where competition is high you may find two or three dreys in the same tree belonging to the same animal.

Do squirrels reuse nests year after year?

They reuse them, repair them and abandon them readily. A drey needs constant maintenance and a soaked or flea-ridden one gets left; the same animal may rotate between several across a season. Cavities are reused for years, often by a succession of different squirrels. An intact-looking drey in February is likely occupied; one that has gone ragged by midsummer probably is not.

Can I remove a squirrel nest from my tree?

Only outside the breeding seasons, and preferably not at all. Grey and fox squirrels have litters in late winter and again in mid-summer, so any drey removed in those windows risks killing young. Where the squirrels are reaching your roof, the fix is cutting back branches that overhang it and sealing the entry points on the building, not removing the nest — remove the drey and they build another in the same tree.

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