You’ve probably noticed squirrels darting around with nuts in their mouths, but honestly, they eat a lot more than just that. Squirrels mostly munch on nuts, seeds, fruits, and, every so often, insects or eggs, so you’ll spot them eating a wide range of plant and animal foods depending on the season and where they live.
If you want to attract squirrels (or keep them out of your garden), it helps to know what they actually like to eat and how their diet shifts throughout the year.
This article digs into what squirrels prefer, some surprising foods they sometimes try, and how their eating habits change as the months roll by.
What Do Squirrels Eat: Core Diet Explained
Squirrels go for a mix of hard nuts, juicy fruits, garden veggies, and even bits of tree parts when they run out of other options.
You’ll spot them hiding acorns and walnuts, nibbling apples, raiding tomato plants, and even peeling bark to get to the soft cambium underneath.
Nuts and Seeds
Nuts and seeds give squirrels most of their energy. You’ll often see them carrying acorns, walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans, hickory nuts, or pine nuts to stash in the ground or wedge into tree crevices.
These snacks pack a ton of fat and calories, which help squirrels bulk up for winter.
Squirrels love sunflower and pumpkin seeds at feeders too. They shell seeds with those quick, chisel-like bites.
If you want to feed them, stick to unsalted, unroasted seeds—avoid those salted snack mixes since they’re not good for squirrels.
Fruits Squirrels Crave
Squirrels happily eat a bunch of fruits you might grow at home. Apples, pears, berries, and even ripe tomatoes are all fair game.
You’ll catch them biting into soft fruit skins or dragging small pieces away to eat somewhere safe.
Fruits give squirrels quick energy and hydration. They definitely prefer sweet, ripe fruit, but if food is scarce, they won’t turn down something underripe.
If you see fruit damage in your orchard or garden, squirrels might be paying repeat visits to the same tree or vine.
Favorite Vegetables
Squirrels will go after garden veggies if they can get to them. Carrots, slices of zucchini, and tender shoots are all on their list.
Usually, they nibble the soft leaves or tips instead of digging up entire roots.
Tomatoes seem to be a big draw, especially when they turn red. Sometimes squirrels bite into a tomato and leave it, or if it’s small, they’ll run off with the whole thing.
To protect your crops, you might want to use cages or pick fruit as soon as it’s ripe.
Tree Bark and Cambium
When food gets scarce, squirrels chew on tree bark and the cambium layer just beneath.
Cambium is that thin, nutrient-rich tissue under the bark that carries sugars. You might notice stripped bark or shallow gouges on trunks and branches where squirrels have been feeding.
Young or thin-barked trees get hit the hardest. If you see bark damage, try wrapping trunks with hardware cloth or using guards a couple of feet tall.
That’ll keep squirrels from chewing while your trees recover, plus it encourages squirrels to stick with safer foods like nuts and fruit.
If you want to dive deeper, check out this guide: What Do Squirrels Eat? Complete Guide to Squirrel Diet (https://privatelandswildlife.com/what-do-squirrels-eat/).
Seasonal Eating, Unusual Foods & Feeding Habits
Squirrels change up their diet depending on the season and where they’re living.
You’ll find them eating nuts, fruits, fungi, and, sometimes, animal foods. They stash food and aren’t shy about raiding bird feeders either.
Adaptations Across the Seasons
In the fall, squirrels really focus on high-fat nuts like acorns, walnuts, and pecans to build up fat and make food caches.
You’ll probably see them burying lots of small piles of food—this scatter hoarding helps them find snacks during winter.
Storing dozens or even hundreds of nuts gives them a lifeline when fresh food disappears.
Once winter hits, they rely on those hidden stashes, tree cavities, and sometimes peel bark for calories.
If snow covers the ground, squirrels dig for buried nuts or eat seeds from conifers.
Spring and summer bring fresh fruits, berries, and green plants, which give them water and vitamins.
Animal-Based Foods
Squirrels mostly eat plants, but sometimes they’ll go for animal foods if they need to.
You might catch them eating insects like caterpillars, beetles, larvae, or grubs. These snacks give them extra protein, especially during breeding season or when other foods run low.
Now and then, squirrels eat bird eggs or even small nestlings, but it’s not super common and usually happens by chance.
Don’t assume all squirrels go for meat, but it does show up in several species. It’s not a good idea to offer meat at feeders.
Mushrooms and Truffles
Many squirrels add fungi to their regular diet, including mushrooms and truffles.
You’ll see both tree and ground squirrels digging for truffle-like fungi, which are packed with calories, fats, and minerals.
They eat mushrooms fresh or stash them while they’re still firm.
Fungi help squirrels get nutrients they can’t find in seeds or fruit. If you notice a squirrel digging near tree roots or under leaves, maybe it’s searching for buried truffles or underground mushrooms.
Squirrels in Urban and Backyard Environments
You’ll spot squirrels in towns, raiding bird feeders for sunflower seeds or mixed bird seed. Honestly, they’ll take over the whole feeder if you let them.
Some folks toss them popcorn or bread, but bread barely offers any nutrition. And chocolate? That stuff’s actually toxic to a lot of animals—just don’t feed it to them.
Try using squirrel-proof feeders or hang them up higher. That might help keep the squirrels from raiding everything.
In backyards, squirrels dig through gardens, orchards, and even compost piles. They’ll grab fruits, veggies, or any scraps they can find.
They get used to people pretty quickly and will come surprisingly close if they think there’s an easy meal. If you want to feed them, stick to good stuff: unsalted nuts, corn, or some fresh fruit.
Skip the processed foods—those just don’t have what squirrels need.
