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The Daily Insight

What can I feed a fox squirrel

Author

Andrew Campbell

Published Mar 10, 2026

A typical rodent diet works well for these mammals, as well as acorns, seeds, nuts, berries, and other fresh fruits and vegetables.

What can I feed wild squirrels?

In general, squirrels eat a mixture of seeds, nuts, corn, fruit, leaves, fungi and bark. Setting out a variety of these items can help them get a balanced source of nutrition. Even a few of these things, like sunflower seeds and peanuts, will satisfy most squirrels.

What is the best thing to feed squirrel?

Acorns, whole roasted pumpkin seeds, and almonds are the healthiest, followed by hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, English walnuts, pecans, pistachios, and peanuts, in that order. Avoid: Cashews, sunflower seeds, dried corn, pine nuts (will cause severe calcium loss).

Do fox squirrels eat fruit?

Squirrels eat fruit with enthusiasm. If you happen to live near a fruit tree, or fruit bushes and vines, you’ve most likely noticed squirrels happily munching and hoarding these delicious goodies for themselves.

What should you not feed squirrels?

  • High-sugar foods (candy, cookies, granola, sweetened breakfast cereals)
  • High-starch foods (pasta, bread, rice, potatoes)
  • Salty foods.
  • Human junk food.
  • Cashews.
  • Sunflower seeds.
  • Dried corn.
  • Pine nuts.

Do squirrels eat apples?

Squirrels are known to store nuts by burying them, but they are omnivores that also eat apples, insects and much more besides. … Contrary to popular belief, squirrels have good memories and well-developed strategies for food storage.

Can squirrels eat uncooked oatmeal?

The quick answer to that is yes, you can feed your squirrel your squirrel oatmeal. They love to eat oats, and they contain a significant source of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and fibers beneficial for both humans and squirrels.

Can squirrels eat apple cores?

The core is the only toxic part of the apple, as they contain cyanogenic glycoside, amygdalin. … In other words, if you feed your pet squirrel or your backyard critters apples, make sure you don’t feed them the core, as it can kill them!

What kind of nuts do fox squirrels eat?

Tree Nuts. One of the primary food sources for squirrels are the tree nuts found in their natural habitats. Grey and Fox squirrels love to eat nuts from oak, walnut, hickory, and pecan trees.

What kind of nuts do squirrels eat?
  • hazelnuts.
  • walnuts.
  • almonds.
  • peanuts (that are aflatoxin-free)
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Is it OK to feed wild squirrels?

Even in the absence of invaders, feeding wildlife is associated with risks. Feeding squirrels may cause them to lose their natural fear of humans, and this isn‘t good for either side of the equation. … If squirrels come to expect food and it isn’t provided, they may become aggressive in seeking it out.

Do squirrels like to eat carrots?

What are Squirrels Favorite Foods? … Other favorites aren’t exactly natural, but the squirrels love them anyway. 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.

Do squirrels like peanuts in the shell?

Nuts and Squirrels It’s no surprise to learn that squirrels love to eat nuts. This is very accurate, and the best nuts for squirrels are the ones that are still in the shell. It’s no hard to find a squirrel eating or stashing them somewhere in your yard, their nest or other hiding places.

Are raw peanuts good for squirrels?

Peanuts are not the squirrel’s only food source as many other natural foods are still being sought and consumed. The general consensus is that giving squirrels a steady diet of raw peanuts may not be particularly good for them; but that in moderation raw peanuts probably cause no problem whatsoever.

Is bread bad for squirrels?

Nutritionally, it is OK to give squirrels an occasional piece of Whole grain or multi-grain bread. Be sure that it is not moldy, as bread molds are toxic. Also, do not put out more than the squirrel will eat, as it will mold quickly. Burying or hiding excess food is in squirrel’s nature.

Can a squirrel eat unpopped popcorn?

Squirrels can eat popcorn as long as it is plain and air-popped. Don’t feed squirrels popcorn with oil, butter, salt, popcorn seasoning, or sugar on it.

What do squirrels drink in the wild?

The answer is, squirrels get fresh water from the bird water feeder or bowls, taps mostly and from moist and from plants, fruits, insects, and vegetables directly. In wild, they get water from rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, and standing water.

Can birds and squirrels eat dry oatmeal?

There is no need to go out and buy birdseed when you can feed wild birds your kitchen scraps. Uncooked oatmeal is an excellent source of nutrition for birds, and it also helps you get rid of the oatmeal you are not going to eat.

What do you feed squirrels in the winter?

Dry corn as a wintertime treat for wildlife in your backyard. Corn dried on the cob can be used to feed birds and squirrels all winter long. I like to dry ears of corn when they are most readily available at farm stands in the late summer. I store them in a cool, dry place until the snow begins to fall.

Is butternut squash good for squirrels?

SQUIRREL FEEDING GUIDEFoodQualityInformationButternutExcellentLeave in shell to promote gnawing.

Do fox eat apples?

Gray foxes live mostly in bushlands and eat small game mammals like rabbits, rodents, and voles. They eat insects like grasshoppers and crickets, as well as fruits and vegetation such as apples, nuts, corn, and wild grasses.

Do fox squirrels eat sunflower seeds?

Their optimum diet is a mixture of nuts, fruits and vegetables. Squirrels love black oil sunflower seeds, so if you don’t want them in your yard, avoid blends with sunflower seeds. Squirrels also love nuts in the shell, which are important to them in two ways.

Will birds and squirrels eat apples?

Any fruits that humans eat are also suitable for birds. Birds will also eat a number of fruits that may be unpalatable or toxic to humans. … Birds also enjoy other fruits such as oranges, plums, apples, grapes, cherries, crabapples, and prickly pear.

Do squirrels eat raisins?

If given the choice, the critter will eat as many raisins as possible, because they, like humans, enjoy the taste. As a responsible pet owner or animal lover, you must not take this as an indicator that raisins are too good for squirrels. So, the answer is, raisins are safe for squirrels in moderation.

Do squirrels eat oranges?

In the summer, squirrels will feast on berries, fruits and succulents. Specifically, they enjoy fruits and vegetables like oranges, apricots, corn and avocados.

Do squirrels eat strawberries?

Several kinds of squirrels exist, including ground squirrels, tree squirrels and even flying squirrels. One factor all of those squirrels have in common is their desire to devour fresh berries from strawberry plants (Fragaria).

Do squirrels eat bird seeds?

Squirrels love birdseed (as well as nuts, sunflower seeds, fruit, and corn), but they don’t favor everything that birds eat. So stock your bird feeder with such fare as safflower seed, nyjer seed, and white proso millet, which squirrels don’t care for and they’ll likely head elsewhere for their next meal.

Can you hand feed squirrels?

If you’re interested in feeding the occasional squirrel by hand rather than setting up a feeder outside your house, reconsider. Feeding squirrels by hand teaches them that they have nothing to fear from humans. … Feeding by hand can also lead to squirrels biting you, which can result in the contraction of diseases.

Can squirrels be friendly?

They Are Friendly Little Guys Very few wild animals are trusting enough to approach humans. Squirrels, however, are generally friendly creatures. … Some of the most social squirrels even let their human friends dress them up!

What nuts do squirrels like the most?

Squirrels’ favorite natural foods are hickory nuts, pecans, black walnuts, and acorns. Their favorite feeder food is black oil sunflower seeds, their least favorite feeder food is Nyjer® (thistle) seed.

Do squirrels remember you?

While squirrels born in the wild may not be particularly friendly, they do seem to remember their human hosts. In some cases, they even return to reconnect with their human saviors.