Red squirrels, ground squirrels, grey squirrels, fox squirrels, flying squirrels, black squirrels, striped squirrels, and many more types of squirrels can be found in the United States. Squirrels are part of the Sciuridae family of mammals, closely related to chipmunks, prairie dogs, and woodchucks. What do squirrels eat? Well, squirrels just happen to eat a lot of things. Squirrels are not picky eaters. If you have spent any time observing the eating habits of common squirrels, this is clear. Squirrels naturally eat a lot of fruits, vegetables, fungi, nuts, tree fruits, plants, and insects that grow in their area. But there are not many boundaries in relation to the squirrels dining habits. They are very curious and will try almost anything. They even like a lot of foods that they probably shouldn’t, like kids’ favorite sugary snacks and cereals. Squirrels are open-minded when it comes to food. If you are looking to provide food for squirrels check our squirrel feeder article.
As people and squirrels share more and more space, they’ve picked up some strange new ways to eat. Squirrels will eat acorns, pecans, berries, and vegetables, but they will also eat food scraps that people leave behind in parks or anywhere else. Things such as sandwiches, old lunch meat, burger scraps, are just a few things squirrels may nibble on. Squirrels seem to get more than their fair share of treats meant for other animals. They steal Fido’s dog food, Kitty-Cat’s kibble, and that bird seed you put out for, well, birds. Below, you will find a smorgasbord of snacks that squirrels enjoy eating:
The sight of a chubby little squirrel nibbling on a piece of bacon makes for a cute photo op. But before offering salty pork products to your neighborhood squirrels, understand that human foods like bacon can actually be dangerous for them. So do squirrels eat bacon in the wild? And is it ever safe to feed bacon to these backyard critters? Let’s dive into the health impacts and better snack alternatives.
Why Squirrels and Bacon Don’t Mix
With their small size and lightning-fast metabolisms, squirrels have very different dietary needs than humans. Their digestive systems are not adapted to process the high fat, salt and sugar content of most human foods.
Bacon in particular packs a triple threat of nutritional problems for squirrels:
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High Fat—The high fat content of bacon can make a squirrel fat and mess up its liver and digestive system.
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High Sodium: Squirrels can get high blood pressure, kidney damage, and heart problems from eating bacon, which has a lot of sodium.
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Nitrates – Bacon often contains sodium nitrate preservatives that are toxic to squirrels.
So while that piece of bacon may look like a tasty, protein-packed snack to us, it actually poses risks of obesity, sodium poisoning and organ damage to squirrels who aren’t adapted to digest it.
Signs of Sickness from Bacon Feeding
If squirrels in your yard do happen to get into bacon scraps or greasy breakfast leftovers. watch for these signs of sickness
- Lethargy, weakness, or inability to climb
- Swollen abdomen or fluid buildup
- Labored breathing
- Lack of appetite
- Hair loss
These can indicate that too much fat salt and preservatives are overburdening the squirrel’s bodily systems. Discontinue any bacon feeding and call a wildlife rehabilitator if you observe these symptoms.
Healthier Squirrel-Approved Snack Alternatives
The good news is that there are plenty of healthier safer snack alternatives to share with your squirrel friends! Here are some better options
Fruits and Veggies – Squirrels thrive on fresh produce like apples, pears, carrots, peas, corn, squash and berries. Chop into small pieces before serving.
Unsalted Nuts – A better protein source, unsalted varieties like almonds, pecans, walnuts and peanuts make nutritious treats.
Whole Grains – Try unbuttered popcorn, whole oats, barley or bits of low-sugar dry cereal.
Seeds – Sunflower seeds, chopped nuts, dried corn, pine nuts or pumpkin seeds offer protein without the salt and fat of bacon.
Natural Peanut Butter – A dab spread on pinecones or tree branches gives squirrels a protein boost without toxic preservatives.
The key is choosing snacks that align with a squirrel’s natural wild diet – heavy on the fruits, veggies, nuts and seeds. This nourishes their health without overloading their digestive system like human foods can.
Special Concerns for City Squirrels
Urban squirrels face unique survival challenges that their rural counterparts don’t:
- Greater population density and competition for resources
- Fewer natural food sources like nuts and fruit trees
- More exposure to processed human foods and trash
As a result, city squirrels often become dependent on human food sources. This makes it extra important not to encourage unhealthy feeding practices.
If urban wildlife have already grown accustomed to fatty or sugary human foods, gradually transition them to healthier options. This will help mitigate obesity and related diseases.
Are There Any Safe Ways to Feed Bacon?
Bacon is quite tempting to squirrels due to its intense saltiness and fat content. The bottom line is wild squirrels are not equipped to handle it safely.
However, very small amounts may be ok on rare occasions. Here are some harm reduction tips:
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Crumble just a tiny portion of cooked bacon – a few small bits
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Mix with healthier items like seeds, oats and chopped nuts to dilute the bacon fat and sodium
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Only offer once in a while, not daily
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Monitor them closely afterward for signs of digestive upset
This mimics how squirrels encounter bacon fat naturally in the wild – through very occasional discovery of trace amounts on discarded food scraps. But it’s safest to avoid offering it to them directly whenever possible.
Squirrel-Proofing Tips
If neighborhood squirrels keep getting into your bacon supply, try these squirrel-proofing methods:
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Store uncooked bacon sealed in freezer bags or airtight containers
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Cover outdoor trash cans securely and empty frequently
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Pick up any food scraps or debris from yard promptly
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Use a squirrel guard on bird feeders to block access
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Close off access holes or entry points to your home
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Apply capsaicin-based squirrel repellent sprays around the perimeter
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Reinforce vulnerable windows and doors with steel mesh screens
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Install motion-activated sprinklers or ultrasonic repellers
With persistence, you can discourage naughty bacon bandits and train squirrels to stop associating your property with free snacks! Proper squirrel-proofing keeps them healthy by preventing dependence on fatty human foods.
Is Bacon Ever OK for Pet Squirrels?
The only scenario where bacon may be somewhat safer is for domesticated pet squirrels under veterinary guidance. Some rehabilitators use tiny bacon bits
Dog and Cat Food
As omnivorous scavengers, squirrels have picked up some strange eating habits along the way. They won’t think twice about storing a few dozen pieces of dog or cat kibble, and they’ll probably come back for more if they find a regular spot where it’s easy to get. The greedy squirrel might even be brave enough to eat wet cat food or canned dog food, even though it is bad for them.
The next time you take out the trash or put the trash from your park picnic away, you might want to remember that a hungry squirrel might be digging around in there later, trying out your frosted birthday cake scraps or tossed sandwich crusts. It’s undeniable that squirrels are great at recycling and composting our sometimes excessive food waste. The squirrels’ digestion and health can be hurt by some processed, sugary, and non-natural foods, on the other hand.
What Do Squirrels Eat?
Squirrels eat fruit with enthusiasm. You’ve probably seen squirrels happily munching on fruit from trees, bushes, and vines if you live near one. They like to keep these tasty treats to themselves. Squirrels can climb fruit trees with ease to snatch their fruits. Many fruit trees, like pears, grapes, apples, kiwis, avocados, peaches, nectarines, figs, plums, mangoes, and citrus, have fruit that squirrels eat. Berries like strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, mulberries, and more are also good for squirrels to eat. Not only do squirrels love apples, but they also love bananas, watermelons, cantaloupe (any melon), and cherries. Eating fruit gives them a huge sugar rush and lots of energy to keep running around and looking for more food.
Squirrels eat a variety of vegetables, and gardeners know this all too well. If a squirrels happens upon any leafy green such as lettuce, chard, kale, spinach, or arugula, they will chow down. Squirrels will also eat other delicious veggies such as tomatoes, radishes, corn, squash, beans, corn, peas, root vegetables, greens (such as beet greens and the greens of any root vegetables), okra, eggplant, brusssell sprouts, carrots, broccoli, cabbage, asparagus, celery, cauliflower, cabbage, leeks–basically anything they can get their hungry little paws on!
Many backyard squirrel-watchers feed cereal to squirrels. Squirrels naturally love the grains and nuts incorporated into most cereals. Chex, Cheerios, Cap’n Crunch, shredded wheat, corn flakes, grape nuts–squirrels devour these tasty treats. Many cereals are also high in sugar, which is good for squirrels because it gives them energy to keep looking for more food to eat and store for later. Cereals that are way too sweet aren’t exactly what Mother Nature would choose as a snack for a squirrel, but the squirrel doesn’t really care what it eats.
In the wild, a squirrel wouldn’t normally find cheese, but people leave all kinds of tasty treats behind when they eat outside and throw away food scraps, so squirrels have developed a strong taste for cheese. Squirrels aren’t picky about cheese. They’ll busily munch away on chunks of cheddar, swiss, provolone, mozzarella, and anything else that they come across. They’ll even eat your cheesy pizza scraps if they’re around! Squirrels don’t mind what kind of cheese you give them either—a hunk of slightly moldy cheese thrown away in a residential compost pile, a grilled cheese sandwich that you’ve thrown away, or a cheese and cracker sandwich that you’ve had but not eaten. When the weather gets cold, like in the winter, a good piece of cheese can help a squirrel store extra fat.
Squirrels are absolutely fanatical about nuts. Nuts about nuts, if you will! If you live near a nut tree, chances are good that you can quickly spot a busy squirrel, bustling around in the branches, with a nut or two–or more–that it will store for later. If you’re hoping to eat those nuts yourself, you may resent the squirrel’s busy, greedy habits. In this case, you may need to install something to deter the squirrel from hoarding your nut harvest, such as a metal sheet wrapped around the tree trunk that will keep the squirrel from being able to climb it. On the flip side, the squirrel’s activity can be good for the tree species, as squirrels help spread seeds far and wide, helping to ensure the chances of certain tree species’ growth and survival. Nuts may be one of squirrels most naturally desired foods. Squirrels will eat nuts and will also stash them away in caches for eating later on. As far as one of their favorite foods go, what do squirrels eat? Squirrels enthusiastically collect and eat pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, pistachios, acorns, cashews, chestnuts, hickory nuts, pine nuts out of pine cones, and macadamia nuts. Nuts are an optimal source of fat and protein for all types of squirrels.
Most backyard bird-watchers have a plentiful supply of birdseed available in their yards for birds, of course. But another critter satisfied by a hearty meal of birdseed is the common squirrel. Sometimes squirrels will eat birdseed even when there are birds around. They will fill their bellies with this easy-to-find treat that people are happy to give them. Of course, birdseed contains a mixture of some of squirrels favorite edibles, such as seeds, grains, and nuts.
Animals like squirrels will eat small bugs to get the protein they need if they can’t find fruits and nuts. Caterpillars, larvae, winged bugs, grasshoppers, injured butterflies, and crickets are just a few of the insects that squirrels eat.
Squirrels are foragers, and love foraging for mushrooms. In more natural environments, such as forests, squirrels can find a variety of great fungi depending on climate. Some favorite fungi include acorn truffles, truffles, oyster mushrooms, and more. Fumes and mushrooms are sometimes left out for squirrels to dry so they can eat them later. Squirrels will also eat lichen, which is a type of small fungus that grows on the bark of many trees, especially older ones, in damp places.
When other food sources are hard to find, a squirrel may have to take what it can get. This sometimes includes stealing eggs from other animals, or even eggs from your chicken coop. When necessary, squirrels may prey on robin eggs, blackbird eggs, and more. Squirrels will also eat hatchlings, young chicks, baby birds, and the bodies of unfortunate chicks that have fallen from their nests if they have to.
Squirrels will look for and eat grass, plant stalks, roots, leaves, and anything else that is healthy enough for them. They like the softest and/or youngest plant stalks and branches, as well as bark that is easy to bend. The soft tips of new growth, leaves that have just opened up, sprouts, and juicy flower buds are also sure to catch the eye of a squirrel that is looking for food. As we already said, squirrels love nuts and bird seed. It makes sense that they also love plant seeds, like poppy seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, safflower seeds, and any other seeds that are around. Also, if it comes as a surprise, squirrels will eat your precious poppy flowers, hibiscus flowers, passionflower petals, and the plant bulbs you were hoping would sprout in the spring.
What Squirrels Eat, Their Diet, and What Not to Feed Them
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