Most people believe that squirrels only eat nuts and seeds. However, they’re omnivores, so they consume different plants and meats.
The varied diet of squirrels consists of nuts, fruits, seeds, buds, fungi, vegetables, eggs, young birds, insects, amphibians, small rodents, and snakes.
Below, I will discuss the diet of squirrels in detail and share foods they shouldn’t eat, so let’s dive right in.
What Do Squirrels Eat and Drink?
Squirrels eat fruit, so if you have a fruit tree or fruit bushes and vines near your property, you have probably seen squirrels collecting these goodies for themselves.
Moreover, squirrels eat apple grapes, pears, peaches, avocados, kiwis, plums, citrus, mangoes, nectarines, figs, etc. These rodents also love strawberries, mulberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, etc.
You can also see squirrels enjoying watermelons, bananas, cantaloupes, cherries, etc. The fruit gives squirrels energy for exploring and forging for more squirrel food, such as the following:
Vegetables
Gardeners know that squirrels love vegetables, especially leafy green, such as spinach, arugula, kale, chard, and lettuce.
These rodents also consume tomatoes, beans, squash, corn, radishes, root vegetables, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, asparagus, celery, broccoli, carrots, cabbage, leeks, and eggplant, among other vegetables.
Cereals
Many people feed squirrels cereal. These rodents love nuts and grains incorporated into cereals, such as Cap’n Crunch, Cheerios, Chex, cornflakes, shredded wheat, and grape nuts.
Moreover, these cereals have a large amount of sugar, which isn’t good for their health. However, sugar also gives squirrels extra energy.
Cheese
Squirrels wouldn’t normally find cheese when looking for food in nature.
However, humans leave different savory treats behind when spending time outdoors, so squirrels have developed a liking for cheese.
Moreover, these rodents aren’t picky about cheese; they will happily eat pieces of swiss, cheddar, mozzarella, provolone, and other types of cheese.
Sometimes, squirrels will eat cheesy pizza scraps if they find any in public areas. Lastly, cheese can help squirrels store extra body fat for winter.
Nuts
Squirrels love nuts. If you have a nut tree near your home, you likely see busy squirrels exploring the branches with nuts inside their cheeks.
You can stop squirrels from stealing your nut harvest by wrapping a metal sheet around the tree trunk. However, when squirrels hoard nuts, they benefit tree species.
Squirrels help spread seeds everywhere, increasing the chances of growth and survival of different tree species.
Typically, squirrels will eat and stash nuts in caches for later consumption. They collect and consume almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans, almonds, cashews, chestnuts, pine nuts, hickory nuts, and macadamia nuts.
Birdseed
Some people who love birds provide birdseed in a bird feeder in their backyards.
Birdseed consists of different seeds, nuts, and grains, all of which squirrels love. And because squirrels eat seeds, they steal birdseed whenever possible.
Insects
If squirrels can’t find nuts and fruits, they usually consume small insects. These rodents get their protein by consuming caterpillars, grasshoppers, winged bugs, larvae, crickets, injured butterflies, etc.
Fungi
Squirrels enjoy foraging for mushrooms.
In forests, these rodents can locate oyster mushrooms, acorn truffles, etc. Sometimes, squirrels ear lichen, the smaller fungi, which grows in moist areas of mature trees.
Bird Eggs
When squirrels have difficulty finding their favorite foods, they can satisfy for less. When necessary, squirrels can steal and eat bird eggs from chicken coops or other animals.
These rodents usually steal blackbird eggs, robin eggs, etc. Sometimes, they even eat hatchlings, baby birds, young chicks, and the carcasses of fallen chicks.
Plant Material
Squirrels will look for leaves, roots, plant stalks, and grass because they also like eating plant material.
These rodents often choose the most tender or young stalks and branches, supple bark, and soft twigs. They also collect newly unfurled leaves, soft tips of new plants, succulent flower bugs, and sprouts.
Other food sources for squirrels include pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, poppy seeds, safflower seeds, hibiscus blooms, poppy blossoms, the petals of passionflower, etc.
Pet Food
Pet food isn’t good for squirrels. However, these rodents won’t think twice about eating your dog or cat’s wet or canned food or treats if hungry.
Food Scraps
Hungry squirrels can eat food scraps, such as cake, tossed sandwich crusts, and other junk food.
However, these rodents shouldn’t consume our leftovers because they usually eat scraps of processed, sugary, and unnatural foods.
These foods aren’t good for people, let alone squirrels. Therefore, pick up after yourself next time you have a picnic, and don’t leave unhealthy food scraps for the squirrels.
Water
Wild squirrels drink water. However, urban squirrels have been seen drinking sodas and other sweet drinks.
What do Baby Squirrels Eat?
Baby squirrels drink their mother’s milk for the first 6-10 weeks; they’re often weaned and start looking for food at ten weeks of age.
What Foods Are Toxic to Squirrels?
Although squirrels can eat avocados and seeds, they shouldn’t consume avocado skin and pits and fruit pits and seeds because there’s a risk of poisoning.
Moreover, squirrels shouldn’t consume unhealthy foods, such as the following:
- Human junk food
- High-starch foods (potatoes, rice, bread, and pasta)
- High-sugar foods (granola, cookies, candy, and sweetened breakfast cereals)
- Salty human foods
- Dried corn
- Cashews
- Packaged pine nuts (squirrels can eat raw pine nuts, but packaged ones can be unhealthy for wild squirrels, pet squirrels, and squirrels in temporary captivity)
Final Words
Squirrels aren’t picky eaters and can eat almost anything. These rodents eat vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, insects, eggs, cheese, fungi, plant material, etc.
However, if they can’t find their favorite foods, they can consume pet food, human food, and food waste, so keep your pet’s food indoors and seal your trash cans.
Squirrels can also steal birdseed, so protect your bird feeders with a squirrel baffle.
Squirrels can also enter your home during winter, looking for food and shelter. So, if you think you have squirrels inside your home, you better call a pest control professional who can easily solve your problem. (See Where Do Squirrels Go In The Winter?)
On the other hand, if you’re considering feeding squirrels, now you know what they like and what they shouldn’t consume for a happy and healthy life.
You can buy or make a squirrel feeder and help your grey squirrels, ground squirrels, or flying squirrels.
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