You’ll spot squirrels in yards, parks, and woodlands because they eat wherever food and safety line up. Squirrels (family Sciuridae) usually feed in trees, on the ground, and close to human spaces like bird feeders or gardens. They pick spots with easy food and quick escape routes.
Habitat, season, and species all shape what and where squirrels eat. From nuts stashed in the leaves to buds and fruit snatched off branches, their diet is pretty flexible.
Ever wonder why some squirrels seem obsessed with bird feeders while others hunt insects or raid nests? You can actually predict or manage their visits once you know what drives them.
Where Squirrels Eat and What Influences Their Food Choices
Squirrels choose feeding spots based on safety, food type, and time of year. They eat and stash food in trees, on the ground, and sometimes even in attics.
Where Tree Squirrels Find and Eat Their Food
Tree squirrels, like gray and red squirrels, mostly eat in trees and on low branches. You’ll catch them stripping nuts from branches or munching buds and fruit right where they find them.
They chew seeds and pine cones on sturdy limbs, balancing with their bushy tails. Sometimes, they carry food down to a shaded spot on the trunk or even a nearby fence.
After eating, they often hide leftovers in bark crevices or under leaf litter. Tree squirrels use scatter-hoarding, so you’ll find small nut caches buried in soil or tucked under leaves all over the place.
Ground Squirrels’ Foraging Locations
Ground squirrels, prairie dogs, and marmots usually feed on open ground, meadows, and grassy slopes. You’ll see them nibbling grasses, seeds, roots, and insects near their burrow entrances.
They eat fast near a lookout, always ready to dash into tunnels if danger shows up. Sometimes, ground squirrels climb low shrubs to grab seeds or fruit.
They usually carry food back to burrows for storage. Some ground squirrels cache plant material in underground chambers for winter.
Their foraging range centers on their burrow system, which you can spot as bare patches or mounds in the grass.
How Flying Squirrels Search for Meals
Flying squirrels go after food at night, gliding between trees with the help of skin membranes. You might hear them working on fungi, nuts, or sap flows in tree cavities after dark.
They pick hollow trunks and nest boxes so they can eat safely inside or just near the entrance. Since they’re nocturnal, flying squirrels rely on smell and memory to find hidden stashes.
You probably won’t catch scatter-hoarding in action, but you can stumble on open seed shells or small caches near logs, under bark, or inside tree holes once morning comes.
Eating Habits in Urban vs. Wild Environments
Urban squirrels adapt and use human structures for feeding. You’ll find them on bird feeders, decks, attics, and in city parks.
Gray and fox squirrels take easy food from feeders and gardens, then stash extra in sidewalk cracks, planters, and tree hollows. In wilder places, squirrels stick to natural caches and a more varied diet of seeds, fungi, and insects.
Urban food is rich in calories but not always reliable. Your backyard might get regular squirrel visitors if they feel safe and can find food.
Squirrels pick spots based on food, cover from predators, and places to bury or hide their finds.
What Squirrels Eat: Core Foods and Seasonal Treats
Squirrels love a mix of high-fat nuts, seeds, and whatever plants are in season. They’ll also eat insects, eggs, and sometimes even meat if they get the chance.
Nuts and Seeds Squirrels Love
Nuts are the mainstay for most squirrels since they pack on fat for winter. You’ll catch them eating acorns, hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans, hickory nuts, beechnuts, and pine nuts.
These nuts give them fats, protein, and calories to help them survive the cold. Sunflower and pumpkin seeds are also favorites at feeders, and squirrels crack them open with ease.
If you put out a squirrel or bird feeder, expect squirrels to show up for sunflower seeds. Peanuts (roasted) are on the menu too, but raw peanuts can carry dangerous mold.
When feeding squirrels, skip the salty or sugary mixes. Baby squirrels need softer, smaller foods than adults.
Fruits, Vegetables, and Plant-Based Foods in the Squirrel Diet
Squirrels go after fruits and garden crops when they can. They’ll take apples, persimmons, crabapples, and berries like blueberries or strawberries.
These fruits give quick energy but are high in sugar, so squirrels treat them more like snacks than meals. In gardens, they’ll eat carrots and green beans.
Squirrels sometimes strip tree bark and chew the soft cambium underneath, especially in early spring when buds are hard to find. If you feed them, stick to small amounts of fruit and raw veggies—never salted or processed snacks.
Fruits and veggies help mix up their diet but don’t replace nuts and seeds.
Animal-Based Foods and Squirrel Eating Behavior
Squirrels mostly eat plants but won’t turn down animal matter if it’s easy. You might see them eat insect larvae, caterpillars, beetles, or other bugs while foraging.
They’ll take bird eggs or small nestlings if they come across a nest. Do squirrels eat meat? Sometimes, yes—especially when they need more protein, like lactating females or growing youngsters.
If you see a squirrel raiding a feeder or garden, remember insects are a natural protein source for them. Feeding squirrels dog or cat food might attract them, but processed pet food isn’t great for them long-term.
Baby squirrels rely on their mother’s milk and need different care than adults.
Fungi, Mushrooms, and Unique Snacks
Squirrels love to eat fungi and mushrooms, even the kinds that most people avoid. They’ll snack on truffles, too.
Fungi give them extra nutrients and can help squirrels store up fat before winter. Sometimes, a squirrel will sniff out underground truffles and then bury its nuts nearby.
That habit actually helps oak trees regenerate, which is pretty cool if you think about it.
You might spot a squirrel nibbling on lichens or some strange fungi in your yard. Oddly enough, they seem to handle mushrooms that would be toxic for us, but scientists are still trying to figure out how.
If you’re tempted to offer snacks, don’t give wild mushrooms to squirrels. It’s tough to tell which ones are safe.
Let them forage for fungi on their own, and stick to nuts and seeds you know are safe if you want to feed them.
