If you want to help squirrels thrive, you’ve gotta offer the right foods and let them keep their wild habits. Stick with natural stuff like unsalted nuts, fresh fruits, and garden veggies, but don’t overdo it—small amounts keep squirrels healthy without making them overly reliant on handouts.
You’ll find out which foods to skip, how to set up safe feeding spots, and when it’s better to just let nature do its thing. This guide gives you easy steps for feeding squirrels responsibly, so your yard stays lively and balanced.
What Is Good for Squirrels to Eat?
Focus on high-fat nuts, seeds, fresh fruits, veggies, and a little protein now and then. Always go for unsalted, raw foods—skip the junk food and overly salty or sugary birdseed mixes.
Essential Foods in a Squirrel Diet
Nuts and seeds are the main deal for a healthy squirrel diet. Offer unsalted, raw nuts like walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, and peanuts in the shell. Squirrels love to chew and stash them for later.
Sunflower and pumpkin seeds work too, bringing healthy fats and minerals.
Fresh fruits and veggies add vitamins and hydration. Try apple slices, berries, corn kernels, carrots, and leafy greens—but keep portions small.
Cut fruit into bite-sized pieces to avoid choking or spoilage.
Sometimes, squirrels need protein. Mealworms, unsalted cooked eggs, or the occasional insect help nursing females or young squirrels grow. Don’t feed large amounts of meat; it’s not really what tree squirrels eat.
Put out clean water near feeding spots. Change it every day.
Wipe down feeders weekly to stop mold and disease from spreading.
Favorite Treats and What to Avoid
Squirrels go nuts for acorns, shelled nuts, and corn on the cob. These treats help them store up energy for winter. Give them whole nuts so they have to work for their food—keeps their natural instincts sharp.
Skip processed human food. Bread, chips, candy, and salted nuts can make squirrels sick or malnourished. Avoid milk and dairy—squirrels just can’t digest it. Raw potatoes, rhubarb leaves, and too much citrus will upset their stomachs, so don’t offer those either.
Don’t feed squirrels from your hand. If you do, they might get too tame and lose their foraging skills. Use a feeder or scatter food in shallow soil instead.
Differences Between Squirrel Species
Gray squirrels mostly eat tree nuts like acorns and walnuts. They bury food in the soil for winter and love big, hard nuts. Sometimes, you’ll see them climbing high for mast crops.
Red squirrels prefer seeds from conifers and smaller seeds. They stash food in tree caches or even hang fungi to dry on branches. They’re territorial and eat a lot of pine cone seeds.
Flying squirrels and ground squirrels are a bit different. Flying squirrels snack on seeds, fruit, and fungi at night, using nest caches. Ground squirrels look for seeds, roots, and sometimes small animals, foraging on the ground for tubers and grasses.
Watch your local squirrels and adjust what you offer. Gray squirrels? Go for big nuts and hiding spots. Red squirrels? Try pine seeds and small nuts. Ground or flying squirrels? Mix in more seeds, fruit, and safe protein.
How to Feed Squirrels Safely and Responsibly
Stick to healthy foods in small portions. Keep feeding areas clean, and put feeders where squirrels feel safe but can’t wreck your garden or raid bird seed.
Choosing the Best Squirrel Feeders
Pick a feeder that holds whole, unsalted nuts or seeds and keeps them dry. Metal or sturdy plastic feeders with small openings last longer and keep out raccoons.
If you go with a platform feeder, look for one with raised edges so nuts don’t end up all over the ground.
Hang feeders 6–8 feet from the nearest tree branch to cut down on squirrel leaps from above. Use a metal pole with a baffle if they can reach from the ground.
Clean the feeder every week or two. Dump out old food, scrub with mild soap, rinse, and let it dry—nobody wants moldy nuts. Change up the food sometimes for a more balanced diet.
Keeping Squirrels Away from Bird Feeders
Set bird feeders on skinny poles at least 10 feet from trees or fences. Try a spring-loaded or weight-sensitive squirrel-proof feeder that shuts when something heavy hops on.
A metal cage around the bird feeder lets little birds eat but blocks squirrels.
Pick up spilled seed daily and rake up hulls, or you’ll attract more squirrels. You might want to put out a separate squirrel feeder with unsalted peanuts or corn to distract them.
If your squirrel-proof feeder isn’t working, move the bird feeder somewhere else instead of just pouring out more seed.
Seasonal Feeding Tips
When winter rolls around, try giving squirrels higher-calorie foods like shelled walnuts, pecans, or black oil sunflower seeds. These snacks help them keep their energy up.
Put the feeder close to some evergreen cover. That way, squirrels can dash to safety if anything startles them.
If the weather’s mild, make sure there’s water nearby. Use a shallow dish and swap out the water every day so it doesn’t freeze or get gross.
In spring and summer, toss out some fresh veggies—think carrot slices or a bit of corn. Small portions of fruit work too.
Skip the sugary human snacks all year. They’re just not good for squirrels.
Got a bunch of oak trees around in the fall? You might want to cut back or even stop feeding for a bit. Squirrels usually stash acorns on their own, and too much hand-feeding can mess with their natural instincts.
