Squirrels eat a wider range of food than you might realize. They are omnivores, which means that they can turn to both plants and animals for sustenance. Squirrels may even eat garbage, but you can prevent this by using sealed containers. Knowing what squirrels eat helps you to avoid inadvertently attracting them to your property, reducing the likelihood that you will eventually need squirrel removal in Coquitlam. Here are a few of squirrels’ favourite foods.

5 Components of a Squirrel’s Diet

1. Nuts

People have observed people eating and collecting nuts for centuries. There are several important reasons why squirrels eat nuts. Most of the components of a squirrel’s diet come from plants, and nuts are a good source of protein for them. Nuts have a high-fat content, which helps squirrels build up stores for winter when food is scarce. They are easy to carry, and they can be stored away without spoiling. Another advantage of eating nuts for squirrels is that the hard flesh of a nut helps to wear down their front teeth which, because they are rodents, are constantly growing.

Some of the squirrels’ favourite types of nuts include acorns, walnuts, chestnuts, and hickory nuts. If you have any nut-bearing trees on your property, there is little you can do to prevent the squirrels from getting into your trees to eat them. However, you can and should clean up the nuts that fall to the ground before the squirrels can get to them.

2. Insects

Insects are another possible source of protein for squirrels, one that they may turn to as the weather turns colder to supplement their diet as food starts to become scarce. Squirrels may eat caterpillars and other insect larvae as well as crickets, grasshoppers, and winged bugs. It’s not clear whether squirrels have a preference as to the types of insects they eat or if they just eat whatever is available.

3. Mushrooms and Other Fungi

Fungi are neither plants nor animals, but omnivorous squirrels may still forage for them. Environmental fungi may be a food option for squirrels where the climate conditions are favourable. Fungi need moisture and an organic food source to grow. For example, some types of fungi grow on the trunks of trees and feed on the cellulose in the wood. Squirrels eat truffles and oyster mushrooms. Another type of fungus that squirrels may eat is lichen, which grows on tree trunks and stones where there is sufficient moisture.

4. Fruits and Vegetables

Fruits and vegetables are among squirrels’ favourite foods. However, they can typically only get them during the spring and summer when they are in season. Squirrels will raid gardens to get at the fruits and vegetables, but fortunately, they cause minimal damage. These foods have important nutrients that squirrels need to maintain a balanced diet. High levels of natural sugar in fruits and vegetables give them energy and help them build up fat stores for winter. As with nuts, if you have fruit trees on your property, you should clean up what falls to the ground promptly to avoid attracting squirrels to your home.

5. Grains and Cereals

The word “cereal” has more than one meaning. It can refer to certain grains, such as corn or wheat, or it can refer to breakfast foods made from these grains. Squirrels will eat either if they have access to them. Some people like to watch squirrels’ playful antics so much that they feed them things like breakfast cereal to attract them to their property. However, breakfast cereals are not healthy for squirrels because of their high sugar content, and attracting squirrels to your property increases the chances that they will get inside your home. Therefore, it is not advisable to feed squirrels breakfast cereal or anything else.

If you do end up with squirrels in your home, you can contact Skedaddle in Coquitlam to have the squirrels removed humanely, followed by cleaning and decontamination after they are gone.