What to Feed Your Squirrels

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Much like weaning a human baby off of breastmilk or formula, weaning a baby squirrel off of formula and onto solid foods is an exciting but cautious time. After all, a baby moving onto solid foods is a sign of positive growth, meaning they’re going to need good, nutritious foods to support their ongoing growth and development. As they grow older, their need for proper nutrition becomes paramount, especially if they’re going to be kept as pets. A diet of nuts and veggies won’t be enough to keep them healthy, as they’ll ultimately be deficient in protein, calcium, vitamin D, and the crucial B vitamins and other nutrients they need.

The Best Squirrel Diet

It’s natural for us to be as curious as our little fuzzy friends, and see how they like a variety of different foods. We tend to have the assumption that, as fellow mammals, their diet should be more or less like our own. This couldn’t be further from the truth. As wild animals, their diet is acclimated to the wild, even when they’ve come to be domesticated. They’re opportunistic feeders, although they are predominantly herbivores. Despite this, squirrels are also known to snack on bird eggs and baby birds, insects, and amphibians. They also need sources of calcium. This is why you might see a squirrel chewing on bones and antlers, wearing down their ever-growing teeth and keeping up their calcium intake.

Whether you’re looking to raise a squirrel as a pet or you just enjoy feeding the squirrels in your yard, it’s important to know what to feed them so that they can thrive. Many people default to bird seed, peanuts, and dried corn. While squirrels enjoy these foods, think of them like McDonalds. Sure, it’s a tasty treat every once in a while, but the nutrition they offer is limited, and isn’t great for a squirrel’s overall health. It’s easy to think “But I’m only giving them a few, that’s not so bad!” What you need to consider is that squirrels will travel throughout their territory. Females will travel between 5–15 acres, while males will travel 50–55 acres. Considering how many people believe peanuts to be a suitable food for squirrels, the likelihood is that you’re not the only one feeding squirrels peanuts.

Rodent Pellets

Squirrel and rodent pellets are a great way to keep a squirrel’s health balanced and looked after. If you’re raising squirrels as pets, these will make up about 80% of their diet. Some great options for these blocks are:

• Henry’s Wild Bites
• Henry’s Picky Blocks
• Henry’s Hazelnut Blocks
• Henry’s Walnut Blocks
• Forti-Diet ProHealth Rodent Pellets

Vegetables

The next level of important, healthy foods for squirrels is veggies. These will provide fiber, vitamin C, calcium, and the micronutrients that your furry little buddy needs. The good veggies include:

• Turnip Greens
• Arugula
• Fresh Basil
• Bok Choy
• Kale
• Mustard Greens
• Spaghetti Squash
• Celery
• Leeks
• Green, Red, and Chinese Cabbage
• Broccoli Rabe
• Yellow Wax Beans
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Carrots
• Mushrooms

Vegetables to Avoid

Some veggies aren’t suitable for squirrels, depending on the compounds in them that may have a negative effect on them. These include:

• Collard Greens
• Bell Peppers
• Rhubarb
• Okra
• Eggplant
• Turnip
• Potatoes

Wild Foods

Given that a squirrel is a wild animal at heart, even when bred to be domestic, they still need the wild foods that they would normally get in nature. This section is largely dedicated to the domesticated squirrel friends, as wild squirrels will naturally find what they’re looking for. When providing these wild foods, make sure that everything has been washed to prevent any kinds of infections, parasites, or other illnesses that might come from being exposed to germs that they wouldn’t typically be exposed to in the home. Also, be careful of where you pick up any plant life, if you choose to forage, as you never know what is being sprayed with pesticides and other poisons.

Safe Flowers:

• Tulips
• Marigolds
• Roses
• Dandelions
• Camelia
• Carnations
• Petunia
• Daisies
• Primrose

Safe Trees:

• Birch
• Aspen
• Pine
• Oak
• Mulberry
• Apple
• Maple
• Magnolia
• Poplar
• Spruce
• Walnut/Black Walnut
• Orange
• Hickory

Safe Plants:

• Dandelion
• Purslane
• Plantain
• Hibiscus
• Rose Hips
• Red Clover/White Clover
• Wood Sorrel
• Lawn Grass

Other Wild Items:

These will help to provide exercise, trace minerals, and a place for your squirrels to wear down their teeth to prevent dental problems.

• Stones (Should be washed before)
• Dirt (Do not gather from areas where you have seen raccoons, as their feces contain deadly parasites. Do not use store bought soil, as they often treat the soil. Sterilize the dirt you pick up by spreading it over a baking sheet and baking it at 250 degrees for at least 30 minutes.)
• Antlers, bones, skulls
• Sea Shells

Wild Items to Avoid:

These items are considered toxic, and should never be presented to your squirrel friend.

• Florist Flowers
• Acorns (some are incredibly toxic. While wild squirrels will learn from their family and others to see which ones to avoid, a domesticated squirrel won’t know the difference.)
• Any type of palm.
• Wild Mushrooms

Treat Foods

Fruit and nuts are considered treat foods to squirrels. They will naturally pursue sugars and fats, just like people will. It provides them the same effects as what we experience when we’re eating fatty, sugary foods, which is why we don’t want to overdo these items for our furry friends. When we give these things to domesticated squirrels, they should be limited to about 2 nuts per day, or two pieces of fruit in the day. Whatever isn’t finished by the evening should be thrown away. To make sure that your squirrel is eating their healthy foods, these foods should be presented later in the day, and any food caches should be cleared on these items before presenting the healthy foods the next morning. For wild squirrels, these treat foods should be given in moderation.

Insects:

These can be bought at pet stores. They provide an excellent source of protein to the squirrel. Do not try to wild harvest these, as they can often carry parasites and other illnesses. The best insects to provide to squirrels, whether dried, live, or flash frozen are crickets and mealworms.

Nuts and Seeds:

These should be provided as unsalted, unseasoned, and roasted treats. For domestic squirrels, provide these in their shells. If this is a new treat for them, crack the shells for them so that they can figure out how to open the shells for themselves, giving them the trace minerals from the shells, and the valuable grinding down of their teeth. While squirrels may love peanuts and they are considered a safe food for squirrels, it is best to give other healthier alternatives, such as:

• Almonds
• Walnuts
• Hazelnuts
• Macadamia
• Sesame Seeds
• Pecans

Nuts to Avoid:

• Chestnuts (should not be fed to domestic squirrels)
• Bitter Almonds (contain cyanide that is toxic to squirrels)
• Cashews
• Pine Nuts
• Acorns (should not be fed to domestic squirrels)
• Peanut Butter (too sticky, poses a choking hazard)
• Sunflower Seeds (high in phosphorous)

Fruits

All fruit will contain carbs and sugars that can pose health problems to squirrels if they overeat them. Some will do better than others to maintain a healthy squirrel, and will provide some calcium that the squirrel needs. When you give these fruits to squirrels, they should not have skins, seeds, or pits, as they can create a choking hazard for your furry little buddy.

Best Fruits:

• Orange/Tangerine
• Raspberry
• Blackberry
• Papaya
• Grapefruit (Pink/Red/White)
• Sweet Cherries

OK Fruits:

• Mango
• Kiwi
• Strawberry
• Pear
• Watermelon
• Blueberry
• Cranberry
• Grapes

Risky/Bad Fruits:

• Persimmon
• Pomegranate
• Avocado (The skin is toxic, and the sticky fruit can be a choking hazard)
• Banana (Sticky fruit is a choking hazard)
• Rhubarb (Incredibly toxic to squirrels)
• Peach
• Passionfruit