Calm Down: Ball of Leaves in Your Tree in Idaho Are Not Stuck or a Birds Nest

The leaves continue to fall each day, with some trees having already lost all of them. As the weather gets colder, the time to rake up leaves is coming to an end. Driving through the Gem State and looking at beautiful trees is in the past, and it won't be until 2025 that trees will be full and beautiful once more. For now, they are ugly and bare, except for a few piles of leaves high up in select trees in Idaho, but these leaves are not what they appear to be. What are these leaves and why are they hanging around through the winter in Idaho?

Ball Of Leaves in Idaho Trees

The leaves sitting on the top of the trees are not leftover leaves that got stuck in the tree, and they are not bird nests. Many animals disappear during the long winter in Idaho, but one of the animals that stays around is squirrels. They need a place to stay warm during the long winter, and that is their home that you see at the top of trees. The bundle of leaves has a name, and it is called a drey. Squirrels make them out of leaves and twigs, and in some cases will take over an abandoned bird nest, and enclose it, to make it a drey. They have been there all spring, summer, and fall, but have been hidden in the tree, but now that leaves have fallen, they are exposed and easy to spot. 

Trees in the Idaho Winter

Seeing these bundles of leaves in your tree may make it tempting to try and get them down, but it is best to leave them alone. You wouldn't like it if someone knocked down your home during the winter, and neither do the squirrels as this is where they sleep, stay warm, and have their babies. When it comes to cutting down branches this winter, make sure to be respectful if there is a drey in your tree, and not to mess it up. It is important to make sure branches are trimmed back if there is a chance they could damage telephone cables, your home, or your vehicles, but do your best to avoid taking out a squirrel's home. 

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Surprisingly, this is not as well known as some may think. Many think these leaves belong to birds or are stuck leaves, and are shocked when they find out the truth. While it may not be the prettiest, enjoy the ball of leaves in your trees this winter, because it means you have adorable, yet sometimes annoying, neighbors.