Though we usually associate nuts with our furry squirrel friends, there are actually many different foods that they love to eat. Whether you are looking to prevent squirrels from making themselves at home in your yard or trying to do what you can to get them out if they’re already there, knowing what they love to eat can be just the trick to help you get control of the situation.
Squirrels have many favourite foods
We understand that all these food sources are plentiful in Oakville, Burlington and the Halton Region we serve. So, if you’re local to Halton Region and need help getting rid of squirrels from your attic, vents, walls – anywhere – call the squirrel removal experts!
Regardless of whether you are trying to attract squirrels to your yard or repel them, knowing what they enjoy eating can help your mission. If you have areas that you want squirrels to stay away from, putting out foods that they like can help prevent them from foraging in other places around your home. However, if you want to do what you can to prevent squirrels from coming to your yard at all, you’ll want to ensure that you don’t put out these foods in the first place.
Fruits
Squirrels are pretty undiscerning pests and will enjoy most foods that they can find. Fruits are a major draw for them and they’ll gladly chow down on things like apples, grapes, kiwi, bananas, strawberries and peaches. Berries are another favourite snack for squirrels because they frequently grow wild so are easy to find, and the unprocessed sugar gives them a great natural energy boost.
Vegetables
On the other side of the garden, vegetables are another favourite of theirs. Leafy greens are especially high on the list; however, squirrels will pretty much try anything. Not only will your vegetable garden be a draw for squirrels to get comfortable in your yard and possibly try to find their way into your attic or shed, it may face being destroyed if they get too excited about finding it.
If you do have a vegetable garden and want to keep squirrels away from it, you can try putting out fruits and vegetables for them that you are willing to have them eat. While this will serve to attract them to your home, it can help prevent your garden from being destroyed.
Nuts
Nuts very may well be the favourite food of squirrels, and for good reason. Nuts are packed with protein, easy to find in the wild, and can hold through the winter providing a long-term food source for them. Some common nuts that squirrels will forage and carry in their cheeks to their winter storage area include acorns, peanuts, almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts and more. When squirrels find nuts in their shell the process of removing the shell can both give them some exercise and help to sharpen their teeth.
Seeds
These snacks are one of the easiest for squirrels to find in nature. Their high nutritional value and overall good taste make them a prime target for squirrels and other wild pests. If you want to leave out a snack for your neighbourhood squirrels look for sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds.
Birdfeed
If you’ve ever had a bird feeder in your yard you’ve likely noticed the squirrel’s interest in it. Bird feed is often easy to get to and makes for a fairly nutritious snack. The best bird feed contains a mixture of seeds, grains and nuts which makes for a pretty tasty squirrel treat.
Remove food sources to prevent a pest problem
If you’ve noticed a squirrel problem in your yard or attic the first thing to do is to check whether you have any food sources in your yard. Even something as simple as leaving a pet food dish out on your deck can draw them in! Prepping your gardens, putting away pet food and offering an alternative place to get food can help prevent a minor pest from turning into a major problem.
