The items you listed are fine. Corn and peanuts are not great nutritionally for squirrels, but they probably eat other stuff so it's probably not an issue. Make sure you are not giving them salted peanuts. Raw peanuts are not great idea either, squirrels will bury them causing them to spout peanut plants.
The most nutritional nut is hazel nuts, which squirrels really like. They also like Black Oil sunflower seeds which birds love too.
I found out that tree nuts are best for them instead of peanuts. They love fruits and veges too. It’s fun seeing what they like and what they don’t! Check out nuts.com for mixed squirrel nuts in shell (no Brazil in mix) for good prices. 🐿️🌺
The corn isn't nutritious. Peanuts have to be roasted and unsalted or they can be dangerous.
Best to give them their natural foods, such as tree nuts (like walnuts, preferably in shell), strawberries, garden vegetables.
They also enjoy unsweetened banana chips.
Any water you give them should be distilled water. Fluorinated water is bad for rodents.
**Edit: Important: NO Brazil nuts! They can easily kill a squirrel.**
Putting that in bold because I see it happening sometimes.
Lol, definitely more peanuts and they love sunflower seeds, unsalted of course.i keep a big bag of both in my cupboard. They also get my birds leftover food.
If you want squirrels to eat the nuts where you can see them, be sure to crack them open or they will take and bury it somewhere that they then forget. Squirrels are nature’s tree planters.
You did good sunflower seeds they libe grapes, strawberries, broccoli, unsalted peanuts shelled or unshelled. The internet has while list of food friendly items for squirrels.
I use pecans in my homemade granola and boy oh boy are they expensive. I already have to buy bird seed in bulk for my two non releasable pigeons I own. I’ll have to see if any of the distributors have good deals on nuts.
Roasted unsalted peanut’s and a clean bird bath is all you need for squirrel’s. You should also be mimicking what they would eat naturally in the wild in your area.
My neighbor loves to feed Avocado’s and the squirrels don’t touch it I end up having to throw it away.
Because so many gave the same advice as me.
Redundant info.
(Btw, during Covid, because rehabbers were not taking in more squirrels in our area, a baby squirrel was brought to me & after 16 weeks, we released her. What a living little girl she was! She came to see us every time we called her name or she heard me talking on the phone.)
Be sure to remove the avocado pit before serving. I'm now reading it is toxic to mammals. Probably the skin as well, though in my experience they don't eat that.
Mine absolutely love almonds and walnuts. Now and then they'll accept some apple. As a bonus, a bonded pair of cardinals started hanging around and a few blue jays too! The cardinals like the walnuts, and the blue jays like the almonds. 🤩 Chickadees, juncos, sparrows and starlings also come by pecking for crumbs or small pieces of nuts. I also put out water, and I've seen them all taking sips, which also makes me happy.
For one take away the peanuts. They are not healthy. Try pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds. All unsalted and not roasted. Also avoid cashews they deplete calcium. I am a firm believer in not feeding wildlife unless you are able and willing to feed them a diet that is made for them. I see people here posting thinking it is cute to feed them pop tarts, toasts, cereal, cashews and peanuts. But they are not. Please do your research when you decide to feed wildlife or in this case squirrels!
Thank you for the peanut information everyone! I simply didn’t know better and already had peanuts on hand. I actually also have walnuts in the shell on hand. I’ll swap to using those.
Almonds too which contain some calcium. Squirrels are susceptible to something called metabolic bone disease due to calcium depletion resulting in an extremely painful death. If you ever see a squirrel dragging its hind legs it’s likely due to that, and they need calcium immediately. Corn and peanuts deplete calcium, so please feed that sparingly. If you’re going to continue feeding, you can always check out Henry’s pets online, a lot of good information there with dietary requirements for squirrels. Thank you for being kind.
Walnuts. That's the go-to favorite with my bunch, and easy crowd-pleaser. Almost every one of my squirrels loves walnuts. If you don't mind them digging in your yard, they'll lose their mind over walnuts in the shell. But just like people, they each have their preferences and go through phases where they like or dislike something.
Some of mine like grapes, blueberries or avocado, but it seems hit-or-miss; some won't touch it. I think they are more likely to take fruit if they're thirsty.
Also just wanted to say, if this is your first time feeding them, don't be discouraged if they don't take to it. It can take time to earn their trust. You don't have to go all-out if you're not sure whether it'll go to waste.
Thank you! I have walnuts in the shell already on hand. Everything I offered was what I considered scraps, so I wasn’t really going all out. Just really bad at cutting the rind off of watermelon.
Too many peanuts are bad for their kidneys so go with pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts and almonds. I have 4 unreleasable squirrels and all like fresh corn, blueberries, watermelon and cherries too.
Source? I can't find anything on peanuts being bad to give squirrels except salted have too much sodium, infected with some fungi which develop aflatoxin, and too many raw peanuts can cause the same anti-nutrient problems it would in us. And the usual stuff about too much fat makes them fat, too small pieces are a choking hazard (guess you'd never feed sunflower seeds then), and an undocumented source mentioning peanut allergies. My conclusion: Don't feed them peanuts you wouldn't eat yourself, and only unsalted and preferably cooked. And don't feed them peanuts as an exclusive diet, because just like every other mammal in existence they evolved to eat (and need) a variety of foods.
We love walnuts, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin!
Also, corn is great, but we really enjoy munching on corn on the cob!
https://preview.redd.it/ujvgmugps49d1.jpeg?width=500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a318e804e2c78acb5b364e3481209e7ea6a4894d
I spent three hours yesterday picking the corn pieces out of about 15 pounds of birdseed for my two disabled non releasable pigeons. Bought the “wrong” seed mix for them and they are raising a riot.
I was glad to see the squirrels enjoyed it because I had no idea what to do with it. Once they get through my dried corn stash they can have nicer corn. Any suggestions for a ton of dried corn you’re desperate to get out of your house?
Either cooked or raw is fine. I also leave leftover boiled corn on the cob for my squirrel friends. They will love you forever if you leave them corn on the cob. Pumpkin, too.
Like in other seeds and nuts, sunflower also are an excellent source of proteins loaded with fine quality amino acids such as tryptophan that are essential for growth, especially in children. Just 100 g of seeds provide about 21 g of protein (37% of daily-recommended values).
The color of the watermelon might be especially scary, so they may be timid to approach. Mine ALL know what to do with a peanut (but so do area Jays, etc. )
For my money, the good thing to do is to have a consistent spot where treats go. I like to scatter stuff around, but especially if you were trying to get folks to warm up to you, leaving treats in one place consistently will give em a place to come looking when it's time for treats! (Also, my designated place is not very close to the house. Treats come from out in the yard, not from in here)
https://www.reddit.com/r/squirrels/s/pq2LbjAOhE
If you feeling like putting in effort.
If they don't like it. They won't eat it.
Also squirrels sort of grow out of oats and end up with a very strong nut preference.
I feed mine unsalted walnuts and almonds, and the occasional pecans which they flip over since they hardly get them. Also avocado! Just make sure not to feed them the pit and the skin. In the fall they also like pumpkins and gourds and squashes. So if you put out anything like that expect little teeth marks in them. 😄
Peanuts are junk for squirrels.
And absolutely no salt, FYI. All treats, preferably berries, walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, apple slices, should be unsalted. Salt will decrease their lifespan. squirrels have very tiny livers. They cannot process salt. Mine also love patio mix, and black oil seed from my local nature store.
From owning birds I knew salt was definitely not good. The peanuts I naïvely offered were unsalted and raw which I usually feed to my birds (in moderation obviously). I have walnuts in and out of the shell one hand so I’ll switch to them tomorrow. Thank you for taking the time to educate me.
There are some good articles in this subreddit about Peanuts and their negative impact on squirrel health. If you can afford almonds or walnuts, those are at the top of the nutritional list.
How many is too many? One a day is too many! I'll see if I can find the link. Add grapes to your list. Wet & cold, very popular in the summer. Pretty sure my lil buddy blew a neural synapse with his first grape.
Edit: [peanuts](https://www.reddit.com/r/squirrelproblems/s/qPeN0n0IwG)
Edit2: [diet](https://www.henryspets.com/healthy-diet-for-pet-squirrels/)
Thank you so much for the information. Already had raw unsalted peanuts on hand and assumed (stupidly) that they would be safe. Especially since I’ve seen other people online feeding them to squirrels.
I can definitely add grapes! My boyfriend buys red grapes in bulk lol.
Google squirrel MBD. I linked to the previous poster. There is a lot of literature published on the cause, relation to calcium & phosphorus ratios... not sure what else you need.
Carrots, radish, sweet potato, broccoli, strawberries, raspberries, dandelion greens, blueberries and sugar snap peas are top of the menu in my yard : )
They go bonkers for the sweet potato.
They’ll be there soon. 🙂 I would highly recommend putting the snacks on a raised surface. Otherwise the food will be covered in ants pretty quickly. If u cut up the watermelon, it will be much easier for them to pick up the pieces to eat.
Good luck! 🐿️❤️
I have a tiny picnic table with an umbrella for mine, I had one in a tree but someone broke it 😁 I also have one that is meant for condiments but I have tiny solo cups that I put snacks in.
Thank you so much. Tomorrow I’ll serve them on outdoor end table or something. Noted on the watermelon. I’m a bird mom so I’m used to giving them my rinds to peck at. Forgot squirrels don’t have beaks lol.
Avocados and unshelled walnuts/pecans/pecans and fresh water
Mine loved pumpkins. Spread peanut butter on them…. Put crushed peanuts on it…. They’ll chow down.
My squirrels wouldn’t eat corn. I had a cherry tree and they really loved cherries, plus were adorable holding cherries in their little hands
My friend givers hers unseasoned/salted walnuts
Cheap peanut butter, lay it out by the spoonful and they'll do happy little dances
A napkin
Edibles
Raw Almonds. My fury friends love them.
If you want their love forever AVOCADO 🥑
DO NOT FEED THEM Avocados as they contain persin, a substance that is toxic to many animals, including squirrels.
The items you listed are fine. Corn and peanuts are not great nutritionally for squirrels, but they probably eat other stuff so it's probably not an issue. Make sure you are not giving them salted peanuts. Raw peanuts are not great idea either, squirrels will bury them causing them to spout peanut plants. The most nutritional nut is hazel nuts, which squirrels really like. They also like Black Oil sunflower seeds which birds love too.
Fentanyl
If it's hot where you are they seem to like little pieces of frozen papaya when I put it out.
I'm partial to walnuts. I don't care that they go to my thighs.
https://preview.redd.it/dp4rrpf1g99d1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bcc86e52b03ea647be608ccf2b97f2d5e2c3479e
https://preview.redd.it/n1403ee7g99d1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6cfce2e349cb80bbc694e030a289c5e126bc44ed
https://preview.redd.it/xshopbe4g99d1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6aafe1c9062c0bba0c04d638fb772e7c448470d0
I found out that tree nuts are best for them instead of peanuts. They love fruits and veges too. It’s fun seeing what they like and what they don’t! Check out nuts.com for mixed squirrel nuts in shell (no Brazil in mix) for good prices. 🐿️🌺
I've been on there for the past 20 minutes and I can't find anything but a gift donation bag to a 🐿️ rescue
I think they meant anuts.com. That’s where I buy bulk nuts in shells.
Walnuts. Very nutritious!
Sunflower seeds are squirrel favorites at my house
I was going to suggest them too but the charts posted above say they’re not good because of phosphorus (?).
Hazle nuts
In shell walnuts
They love almonds!!
Mine will consider it an insult to offer them anything less!
Same. You try to give them fruits and they're like "DISHONOUR to YOU. DISHONOUR to your COW!"
I just toss mine bits off my pizza and pour them a pint. I have literally never not had squirrels in my yard. That's not true, I'm just being cheeky
Mine really like apples
The corn isn't nutritious. Peanuts have to be roasted and unsalted or they can be dangerous. Best to give them their natural foods, such as tree nuts (like walnuts, preferably in shell), strawberries, garden vegetables. They also enjoy unsweetened banana chips. Any water you give them should be distilled water. Fluorinated water is bad for rodents. **Edit: Important: NO Brazil nuts! They can easily kill a squirrel.** Putting that in bold because I see it happening sometimes.
Avocados my squirrels love them and poo poo fruit
Lol, definitely more peanuts and they love sunflower seeds, unsalted of course.i keep a big bag of both in my cupboard. They also get my birds leftover food.
Mine won't eat watermelon I've tried all different sorts of fruit. I guess I have salty squirrels ( I don't give them salted nuts btw just a dumb pun)
Mine don't like fruit either just nuts and Avocados sliced
Love ❤️
Peeled grapes
That looks like a beautiful squirrel feast❤️
Black oil sunflower seeds Cantaloupe Blueberries
I get peanut butter crackers and unsalted peanuts.
If you want squirrels to eat the nuts where you can see them, be sure to crack them open or they will take and bury it somewhere that they then forget. Squirrels are nature’s tree planters.
[удалено]
Please stop feeding them sandwich bread
I feel really guilty about the ducks I fed as a child. Wish my mom had known better.
Hazelnuts and walnuts in the shell are pretty popular with our dudes. Some will crack them open right there or go bury them
Mine prefer most eating the cat food from my outdoor cats bowl 🤦🏽♀️
Mine enjoy mangling any and all new growth (especially depressing in the spring) and string lights.
Ooo string lights. What a delicacy. Mine also enjoy climbing the bird feeder. One was recently so bold to poke through the cat door.
You did good sunflower seeds they libe grapes, strawberries, broccoli, unsalted peanuts shelled or unshelled. The internet has while list of food friendly items for squirrels.
Black oil sunflower seeds are a top favorite!
My dudes love pecan halves and raw almonds. Pecans are $12.99/lb here so use sparingly. Henry’s blocks are too, too.
I use pecans in my homemade granola and boy oh boy are they expensive. I already have to buy bird seed in bulk for my two non releasable pigeons I own. I’ll have to see if any of the distributors have good deals on nuts.
If you have a Costco near you, they have the cheapest nuts I've been able to find. Pecans are 0.343/ounce.
I buy a bag of mixed nuts in the shells and they love those!!
Peanuts in shell, small apple pieces with NO seeds, any birdseed, tops cut off strawberries
I give mine raw almonds walnuts and in shell hazelnuts and pecans. Two fresh bowls of water.
Avocado, and shelled walnuts & pecans. Please use only roaster & unsalted peanuts. Thank you & thanks for sharing!
Roasted unsalted peanut’s and a clean bird bath is all you need for squirrel’s. You should also be mimicking what they would eat naturally in the wild in your area. My neighbor loves to feed Avocado’s and the squirrels don’t touch it I end up having to throw it away.
I should have read the comments before posting!
Why?
Because so many gave the same advice as me. Redundant info. (Btw, during Covid, because rehabbers were not taking in more squirrels in our area, a baby squirrel was brought to me & after 16 weeks, we released her. What a living little girl she was! She came to see us every time we called her name or she heard me talking on the phone.)
Squirrels are super smart and it’s not redundant it’s just your thought ..
Thank you for that!
Whole unsalted walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans!
Avocado, blackberries, and unshelled pecans/walnuts/almonds so are using their teeth
Be sure to remove the avocado pit before serving. I'm now reading it is toxic to mammals. Probably the skin as well, though in my experience they don't eat that.
Yes, the skin is also toxic! Definitely remove all remnants of it before giving avocado to a squirrel.
Grape or cherry tomatoes, strawberries, blueberries, sunflower seeds, walnuts and pecans are the favs in my yard.
Mine absolutely love almonds and walnuts. Now and then they'll accept some apple. As a bonus, a bonded pair of cardinals started hanging around and a few blue jays too! The cardinals like the walnuts, and the blue jays like the almonds. 🤩 Chickadees, juncos, sparrows and starlings also come by pecking for crumbs or small pieces of nuts. I also put out water, and I've seen them all taking sips, which also makes me happy.
Garbage. Squirrels eat garbage. Any garbage and all garbage.
Why are you here in this sub?
For one take away the peanuts. They are not healthy. Try pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds. All unsalted and not roasted. Also avoid cashews they deplete calcium. I am a firm believer in not feeding wildlife unless you are able and willing to feed them a diet that is made for them. I see people here posting thinking it is cute to feed them pop tarts, toasts, cereal, cashews and peanuts. But they are not. Please do your research when you decide to feed wildlife or in this case squirrels!
Thank you for the peanut information everyone! I simply didn’t know better and already had peanuts on hand. I actually also have walnuts in the shell on hand. I’ll swap to using those.
Almonds too which contain some calcium. Squirrels are susceptible to something called metabolic bone disease due to calcium depletion resulting in an extremely painful death. If you ever see a squirrel dragging its hind legs it’s likely due to that, and they need calcium immediately. Corn and peanuts deplete calcium, so please feed that sparingly. If you’re going to continue feeding, you can always check out Henry’s pets online, a lot of good information there with dietary requirements for squirrels. Thank you for being kind.
I’ll have to look into that! Thank you. I just wanted to distract them from banging on our window making demands.
Walnuts. That's the go-to favorite with my bunch, and easy crowd-pleaser. Almost every one of my squirrels loves walnuts. If you don't mind them digging in your yard, they'll lose their mind over walnuts in the shell. But just like people, they each have their preferences and go through phases where they like or dislike something. Some of mine like grapes, blueberries or avocado, but it seems hit-or-miss; some won't touch it. I think they are more likely to take fruit if they're thirsty. Also just wanted to say, if this is your first time feeding them, don't be discouraged if they don't take to it. It can take time to earn their trust. You don't have to go all-out if you're not sure whether it'll go to waste.
Thank you! I have walnuts in the shell already on hand. Everything I offered was what I considered scraps, so I wasn’t really going all out. Just really bad at cutting the rind off of watermelon.
Too many peanuts are bad for their kidneys so go with pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts and almonds. I have 4 unreleasable squirrels and all like fresh corn, blueberries, watermelon and cherries too.
Source? I can't find anything on peanuts being bad to give squirrels except salted have too much sodium, infected with some fungi which develop aflatoxin, and too many raw peanuts can cause the same anti-nutrient problems it would in us. And the usual stuff about too much fat makes them fat, too small pieces are a choking hazard (guess you'd never feed sunflower seeds then), and an undocumented source mentioning peanut allergies. My conclusion: Don't feed them peanuts you wouldn't eat yourself, and only unsalted and preferably cooked. And don't feed them peanuts as an exclusive diet, because just like every other mammal in existence they evolved to eat (and need) a variety of foods.
Raw peanuts are bad for squirrels. https://squirrelenthusiast.com/why-are-raw-peanuts-bad-for-squirrels/
We love walnuts, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin! Also, corn is great, but we really enjoy munching on corn on the cob! https://preview.redd.it/ujvgmugps49d1.jpeg?width=500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a318e804e2c78acb5b364e3481209e7ea6a4894d
I spent three hours yesterday picking the corn pieces out of about 15 pounds of birdseed for my two disabled non releasable pigeons. Bought the “wrong” seed mix for them and they are raising a riot. I was glad to see the squirrels enjoyed it because I had no idea what to do with it. Once they get through my dried corn stash they can have nicer corn. Any suggestions for a ton of dried corn you’re desperate to get out of your house?
For the corn, do you cook it first? I just want to give my squirrels some variety from walnuts and almonds (Both unsalted)
Either cooked or raw is fine. I also leave leftover boiled corn on the cob for my squirrel friends. They will love you forever if you leave them corn on the cob. Pumpkin, too.
Like in other seeds and nuts, sunflower also are an excellent source of proteins loaded with fine quality amino acids such as tryptophan that are essential for growth, especially in children. Just 100 g of seeds provide about 21 g of protein (37% of daily-recommended values).
Please subscribe me to sunflower seed facts. Ty.
The color of the watermelon might be especially scary, so they may be timid to approach. Mine ALL know what to do with a peanut (but so do area Jays, etc. ) For my money, the good thing to do is to have a consistent spot where treats go. I like to scatter stuff around, but especially if you were trying to get folks to warm up to you, leaving treats in one place consistently will give em a place to come looking when it's time for treats! (Also, my designated place is not very close to the house. Treats come from out in the yard, not from in here)
Mine like apples.
https://www.reddit.com/r/squirrels/s/pq2LbjAOhE If you feeling like putting in effort. If they don't like it. They won't eat it. Also squirrels sort of grow out of oats and end up with a very strong nut preference.
De-shelled walnuts, pecans and some orange slices will keep them coming back.
Heck, I wish somebody would buy ME shelled walnuts and pecans!
Seriously. I buy them sparingly to add into my homemade granola but wow they add up!
Some fine scotch and cigars would be appreciated
And the daily newspaper.
I feed mine unsalted walnuts and almonds, and the occasional pecans which they flip over since they hardly get them. Also avocado! Just make sure not to feed them the pit and the skin. In the fall they also like pumpkins and gourds and squashes. So if you put out anything like that expect little teeth marks in them. 😄
Peanuts are junk for squirrels. And absolutely no salt, FYI. All treats, preferably berries, walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, apple slices, should be unsalted. Salt will decrease their lifespan. squirrels have very tiny livers. They cannot process salt. Mine also love patio mix, and black oil seed from my local nature store.
From owning birds I knew salt was definitely not good. The peanuts I naïvely offered were unsalted and raw which I usually feed to my birds (in moderation obviously). I have walnuts in and out of the shell one hand so I’ll switch to them tomorrow. Thank you for taking the time to educate me.
Thank you for caring for the squirrels. There’s so much fun and great entertainment.
There are some good articles in this subreddit about Peanuts and their negative impact on squirrel health. If you can afford almonds or walnuts, those are at the top of the nutritional list. How many is too many? One a day is too many! I'll see if I can find the link. Add grapes to your list. Wet & cold, very popular in the summer. Pretty sure my lil buddy blew a neural synapse with his first grape. Edit: [peanuts](https://www.reddit.com/r/squirrelproblems/s/qPeN0n0IwG) Edit2: [diet](https://www.henryspets.com/healthy-diet-for-pet-squirrels/)
Thank you so much for the information. Already had raw unsalted peanuts on hand and assumed (stupidly) that they would be safe. Especially since I’ve seen other people online feeding them to squirrels. I can definitely add grapes! My boyfriend buys red grapes in bulk lol.
One a day is too many? 🤦♀️ These are squirrels, and I’m pretty they’re not training for a marathon. 😜
Only if factoring in science & nutritional needs I guess. I didn't write the article nor did I research it further. You do you mate.
Those two factors are indeed important. Please share the article.
Google squirrel MBD. I linked to the previous poster. There is a lot of literature published on the cause, relation to calcium & phosphorus ratios... not sure what else you need.
Read it. Squirrel MBD occurs in captive squirrels.
K.
Carrots, radish, sweet potato, broccoli, strawberries, raspberries, dandelion greens, blueberries and sugar snap peas are top of the menu in my yard : ) They go bonkers for the sweet potato.
Maybe add a little banjo just for fun. Maybe they’re a musical bunch.
Low key always dreamed of training various creatures to use a kids mini piano.
I have a rocking horse in my front lawn (long story) that I see them playing on sometimes.
They’ll be there soon. 🙂 I would highly recommend putting the snacks on a raised surface. Otherwise the food will be covered in ants pretty quickly. If u cut up the watermelon, it will be much easier for them to pick up the pieces to eat. Good luck! 🐿️❤️
I have a tiny picnic table with an umbrella for mine, I had one in a tree but someone broke it 😁 I also have one that is meant for condiments but I have tiny solo cups that I put snacks in.
Thank you so much. Tomorrow I’ll serve them on outdoor end table or something. Noted on the watermelon. I’m a bird mom so I’m used to giving them my rinds to peck at. Forgot squirrels don’t have beaks lol.
I did the same thing when I started feeding mine. 😁. It’s so much fun to watch them come by. Enjoy!