Best Food For Wild Squirrels In Winter
The squirrels will stash the peanuts in all sorts of crazy places and some of the raw peanuts they stash in the ground will sprout.
Best food for wild squirrels in winter. People like to feed them peanuts which is a legume not a nut and don t stop to think about how peanuts aren t something a squirrel would normally eat. What to feed squirrels. 3 of the best nuts for squirrels backyard and wild virginia peanuts bulk inshell animal peanuts are perfect if you want to feed or attract squirrels to your yard. Many squirrels love to eat apples peas watermelon grapes broccoli and yellow squash.
Nut squares and balls. Hickory nuts beechnuts walnuts and butternuts are all great options. I stopped feeding raw peanuts after i found peanut plants growing in my flower pots. As we all know the in shell peanuts are best for them because they help sharpen their teeth and provide them with exercise.
Before winter arrives squirrels will store food in many places around their habitat and will return to these caches during the winter months. The best food for squirrels nature provides the most nourishing food for squirrels. Squirrels mainly eat seeds nuts and flower buds but also fungi and chestnuts. Take a look around at the local nut trees in your area.
Other favorites aren t exactly natural but the squirrels love them anyway. You can get your local squirrels used to eating veggies by feeding them small amounts of raw fruits and vegetables. Fruit berries vegetables nuts bugs fungi eggs seeds and plants are mother nature s best food for squirrels. However it s important to go easy on the fruit because it can reduce a squirrel s ability to absorb calcium.
These additional foods include peanuts peanut butter pecans pistachios grapes corn squash zucchini pumpkin strawberries carrots apples sunflower seeds and even snack items such as oreo cookies. In general giving squirrels additional food will not harm them. Your backyard wildlife will love the natural blend of peanuts black oil sunflower seeds corn and whole peanuts. Squirrels will eat most of the peanuts you give them but will stash some of them away to eat during winter.
Pine squirrels tamiasciurus like douglas and american red squirrels are larder hoarders who eat primarily tree seeds pine cones. It is ideal to use with platform feeders table feeders or hanging feeders. Replicate that habit in your garden and squirrels will love you for it. As well as other foods that they can find such as mushrooms buds catkins flowers and berries storing all of their food in a single location or midden larder.