Missouri Squirrel Nests May Reveal What Winter Has in Store

I'm not superstitious and don't normally embrace weird ways to see what the future holds. However, I do believe that nature and its creatures have been given instincts to know how to prepare for bad weather ahead. That's why I pay attention to what squirrels are doing in Missouri to see what they might know that the rest of us don't about the upcoming winter months.

In case you weren't aware, this is what a squirrel nest looks like

Canva

I don't know about you, but the Missouri neighborhood I live in is full of squirrels. The first time I stopped by to meet our realtor to look at our house before we bought it, several squirrels were perched on a tree branch barking at me. They were alerting me that this was their territory and I would be just a guest there, but I digress.

The Old Farmer's Almanac confirms that there are many that believe you can tell what winter is going to be like by paying attention to where squirrels build their nests. They say that if squirrels are building their nests higher in the trees that means they're preparing for lots of snow and a rough winter ahead. If the squirrels are building their nests closer to the ground, they're anticipating a milder winter.

What's the word on squirrel nests in Missouri this year?

This is the time of year to start paying attention as squirrels will start working on their winter nests in September. Our trees are still very full of leaves so it's difficult to spot where these little critters are doing their construction, but it looks to me like the nests might be a little closer to the ground this year compared to last. That would mean that Missouri MIGHT see a milder winter or that could just be me exercising some wishful thinking. I plan to continue my watch on what the squirrels are up to since they're the boss of our neighborhood and I'm merely a visitor (in their squirrel eyes).