You’ve probably seen squirrels darting around the yard, chattering away, and wondered how on earth they manage to eat such a variety of foods. Squirrels rely on sharp teeth, quick paws, and clever little habits to grab, handle, and stash food for later.
They chew through tough shells, climb or dig to reach their meals, and hide extra snacks for future munching.
Their food choices shift with the seasons and their surroundings. One day it’s nuts and seeds; the next, they might go for fruits, fungi, or even the odd insect or egg.
This article explores how their feeding methods and diet connect, so you can spot their common habits and maybe figure out what’s bringing them to your yard.
How Squirrels Eat: Behaviors and Feeding Methods
Let’s look at how squirrels handle food, stash it away, find it in cities and forests, and how different species eat in their own ways.
You’ll get the details on chewing, storing, foraging, and those quirky species-specific habits.
Chewing and Gnawing: How Squirrels Open Nuts and Seeds
Squirrels use their four long incisors to crack open hard shells. They gnaw a small hole or wedge open a nut with their front teeth, then peel or pry the shell apart.
Sometimes they finish a soft hazelnut in seconds. Tough walnuts? That could take several minutes.
You’ll spot them sitting upright or even hanging, holding food with their front paws. They twist and turn items to find a weak spot.
Their teeth stay sharp because the enamel wears unevenly, always leaving an edge for cutting shells.
Young squirrels pick up tricks faster when they watch adults. Gray squirrels and red squirrels, for example, learn to handle tough nuts quickly if those nuts are common where they live.
Storing and Hoarding: Burying Food for the Future
Squirrels stash food away for winter or dry spells. They scatter-hoard, burying lots of little caches all over instead of one big pile.
That way, if something steals or spoils a cache, they’ve still got more hidden elsewhere.
They use landmarks and their nose to find their buried snacks, but honestly, they forget some of them. That’s good news for trees, though, since forgotten nuts can sprout.
Ground squirrels and gray squirrels usually bury nuts, while tree squirrels tuck food into crevices. Look for disturbed soil, twigs, or small piles of leaves—those are clues a squirrel hid something there.
If you set out a squirrel feeder, they’ll likely grab food and run off to hide it nearby. Fox squirrels and red squirrels might stash food both on the ground and up in trees, depending on what’s around.
Foraging in Nature and Urban Settings
In forests, squirrels search for nuts, seeds, fungi, buds, and sometimes insects. Gray and red squirrels love acorns, hazelnuts, and pine seeds when they’re in season.
They time their foraging to when food is plentiful and cover is safe. In cities, squirrels adapt fast.
You’ll find them raiding bird feeders, picking through compost, or eating scraps. Urban squirrels spend more time on open lawns than their forest cousins—they need to spot predators quickly.
If you feed squirrels in your yard, expect regular visits. They might even chase off rivals to defend the spot.
Want to help? Offer unsalted nuts, and if you’d rather keep them off your bird feeders, try a squirrel-proof design. Flying squirrels do things differently—they forage mostly at night and go for softer foods.
Differences in Feeding Among Squirrel Species
Different squirrel species eat different things and use unique techniques. Gray squirrels chow down on all sorts of nuts and adjust easily to city life.
Fox squirrels prefer bigger nuts and usually eat on the ground. Red squirrels focus on conifer seeds and strip pine cones, often using one paw more than the other.
Ground squirrels eat more seeds, roots, and insects, and they rarely climb high for food. Flying squirrels snack on nuts, but they love soft fruits and fungi and stick to nighttime feeding.
Tree squirrels hide food in high spots or bark crevices, while ground squirrels mostly bury theirs. Noticing which squirrel eats what, and where, tells you a lot about their diet and habits.
Squirrel Diet: What Squirrels Eat and Their Favorite Foods
Squirrels eat a huge variety of foods to get energy, fat, and protein. Most days, you’ll catch them hauling off nuts, nibbling fruit, or digging up seeds they buried earlier.
Nuts and Seeds Squirrels Love Most
Nuts are pretty much the heart of a squirrel’s diet. Acorns are a favorite—they’re fatty and store well.
You’ll catch squirrels munching on walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, and hickory nuts too. Whole, in-shell nuts are best since cracking them keeps squirrel teeth in shape and gives their brains a workout.
Seeds are a big treat as well. Sunflower and pumpkin seeds pack a lot of calories and make easy backyard snacks.
In pine forests, squirrels strip cones to get to pine nuts. If you’re feeding squirrels, stick to unsalted, unflavored nuts, and don’t overdo it—let them forage naturally too.
Fruits and Vegetables Eaten by Squirrels
Squirrels enjoy fruits and fresh veggies when they find them. Apples, grapes, and berries are easy picks—sweet and juicy.
If you offer apple slices or grapes, cut them small to prevent choking and rinse off any pesticides.
They’ll eat vegetables like yellow squash, corn, and carrots. Squirrels go for squash flesh and seeds, and pumpkin seeds are a real hit.
Leafy greens and garden veggies are fair game if they can reach them. But keep in mind, fruits and veggies work best as treats—nuts give squirrels the fat and energy they really need.
Animal-Based Foods: Insects, Eggs, and More
Squirrels love a bit of protein now and then, so they’ll munch on animal-based foods too. Sometimes you’ll catch them chasing down big insects, beetles, or even fat caterpillars.
They don’t mind raiding bird nests for eggs, either. If food gets really scarce, they might go after small nestlings.
Ground squirrels? Those guys will dig up grubs or snack on little reptiles when they find them.
These protein-rich snacks make up a small, but honestly pretty important, part of their diet—especially in spring when young squirrels are growing fast.
You shouldn’t toss meat or pet food out for wild squirrels. Their natural diet of insects and eggs gives them what they need, and human food can actually do more harm than good.
