Photo courtesy of California Wildlife Center A LITTLE HELP-An animal care expert from the California Wildlife Center nurtures a squirrel that was found orphaned.

Before trimming trees this time of year, homeowners should use caution because baby squirrels could be nesting.

The California Wildlife Center (CWC) urges residents to either contact an arborist or professional landscaper to check for squirrel nests in trees before trimming any branches through July. Better yet, postpone the pruning until October. Tree trimmers often knock squirrel nests to the ground or injure the animals with their tools, according to the CWC.

"Every year, we tend to get a lot of injured squirrels and it usually coincides with tree trimming and the nesting season," said CWC Executive Director Beth Caskie. "We get a few injured by (tree trimming), some killed by it and some orphaned by it. . . . Unfortunately, a lot of people get the urge to trim their trees—or see the need to do it—right about the time it’s not ideal to do it."

Squirrel nesting is common in March and April, and in August and September. Last year the CWC treated more than 200 injured or orphaned squirrels and almost 2,000 other injured or orphaned mammals and birds.

Adult squirrels often flee from a tree when someone activates trimming equipment, Caskie said. But the nesting instinct of baby squirrels prevents them from leaving and they remain in harm’s way.

Squirrels’ nests aren’t easy to see, according to Caskie, because they’re camouflaged in the foliage. "One of the reasons you trim a tree is because it’s so bushy and you can’t see anything," she said.

Baby squirrels are frequently injured, or even killed, from tree-trimming incidents. Their most common injuries are broken limbs. Babies are ill-prepared to leave the nest because they’re unable to scamper, Caskie said.

Residents are advised to seek professional tree trimmers who will avoid nests, Caskie said. Check for landscapers in classified ads, or check landscaping company advertisements at local nurseries, she said.

Tree trimming isn’t the only danger for wildlife. Routine yard work can also be dangerous for small creatures.

"As a general rule, especially now during rattlesnake season, it’s always wise—before you start trimming or weed-whacking—to take a long stick and poke through your yard where you plan to do whatever work you need to get done," Caskie said. "There might be little birds huddled under some shrubs (or even poisonous snakes). . . ."

All birds’ nests––when occupied––are protected in California, according to a Fish and Game spokesperson. You can remove birds’ nests only when they’re unoccupied, the source said.

If you do injure a wild animal or find injured or orphaned wildlife, call the CWC hotline at (818) 591-9453 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., seven days a week. For more information about the CWC, go to www.californiawildlifecenter.org.