What to feed squirrels with?

Squirrels are wild animals that find their own food. In summer, nature is a well-filled treasure trove. In winter, on the other hand, they have to draw from their food supplies because the small rodents do not hibernate. But even with the best planning, the food supply does not always work smoothly in the cold season. Hunger can quickly spread. Find out here when it is worth feeding squirrels and what is on the menu of these climbers.

to feed squirrels

Yes, what are squirrels even fed with? Most people should be aware that these tree climbers collect hazelnuts, walnuts and acorns. Here are a few more additions:

• Beechnuts
• Sweet chestnuts
• Sunflower seeds
• Spruce, pine and fir seeds
• small apple, pear and carrot pieces
• animal food such as B. Larvae

Food from the supermarket

There is now something special in retail Compound feed for squirrels. It mostly consists of unsalted ones Peanuts and sunflower seeds and dried fruit pieces. Animal rights activists advise against feeding peanuts to squirrels, because peanuts are not a native plant species. Peanuts are therefore not part of a species-appropriate diet.

Note: Almonds are also not a suitable food because they contain hydrocyanic acid. It can be dangerous to the animals in larger quantities.

Necessary preliminary considerations

But before you hurry now Food bowl fill it up and put it outside, you should also read the rest of the text carefully. The necessity of feeding is examined in more detail. You will also discover information on the period in which additional feeding can be useful. Finally, it is important to design the feeding process in such a way that it really benefits the rodents.

Hardworking collectors

Squirrels, scientifically Sciurus vulgaris, are hardworking foragers who are aware of limited food availability. You therefore create numerous hiding spots in good time, including reserves. It seems that these animals are well prepared for the lean time of the year. However, some factors can create a long-term bottleneck that can kill some animals.

Icy winters

Squirrels dig their food into shallow earth hollows and dig it out again when necessary. The weather in winter can thwart your plans.

• Snow covers the landscape
• cover important landmarks
• make finding the hiding place more difficult
• Sub-zero temperatures cause the soil to freeze
• digging up the food becomes tedious or even impossible

Dry summers

If the summer was very hot and dry before, fewer fruits and seeds are produced. As a result, the amount of food collected cannot adequately meet the squirrel's winter needs. At the same time, other animals also suffer from food shortages. While wild boars first sniff out one or the other hiding place in the forest and then empty it, in the garden at home it is mainly mice who develop into thieves of stored supplies.

Urban residential area

Some specimens now permanently inhabit urban areas. We often see them darting from tree to tree. But the planting of many gardens hardly provides anything edible for these rodents. In addition, there is the urge of some garden owners to keep things tidy in autumn. Edible seed pods are disposed of and landmarks that later serve to find hiding places are destroyed.

Natural regulation

Sciurus vulgaris is not an endangered species. The rodent population can decline in winters with little food, but it recovers in fat years. Therefore, humans do not have to feed the squirrels. In fact, hardly anyone would think of feeding forest animals. It looks different in residential areas. Because we meet the animals up close, empathy quickly arises.

Higher energy requirements

In winter, the animal uses its energy balance sparingly. It only leaves the Kobel by the hour to fetch food. The rest of the time it spends sleeping at home. But one unavoidable task increases the needs of a female considerably: reproduction.

The orange-brown rodents mate as early as December and have their first young in February. It is understandable that they need enough nutritious food for themselves and their young during this time.

When does additional feeding make sense?

When exactly should we intervene to help? A good question. There are voices in favor of year-round supplementary feeding in urban areas because the natural food supply there is more scarce than in the wild. Most animal welfare associations, on the other hand, only recommend additional feeding of the squirrels when necessary, i.e. in winter.
There are also warnings that abundant and constantly available food supply could make the animals lazy and neglect their own gathering. This aspect must be considered when feeding.

Feeding places

Attracting an animal with food in hand may be a nice idea for nature lovers. But it is not what these animals want. Their way of life should be disturbed as little as possible. Developed trust can turn out to be detrimental in retrospect. When the animals no longer pay attention to their natural instinct, which protects them from danger.

There are bird feeders specially designed for these rodents that have an enlarged opening. Feed boxes with a flap are also popular. The animals enjoy discovering this mechanism and opening the flap. The feeding station is inexpensive if you build it yourself. It's a challenging task for children. Later you can watch the animals from a safe distance.

Set up feeding station

When setting up the feeding station, a few rules should be observed:

• do not place too close to human habitation
• Find a quiet place for undisturbed food intake
• Hang up the feeding place in such a way that it is safe for cats or raise it up
• Tree suspension in at least 1.5 m high

tip: If you've spotted multiple animals on your property, you should have more than one Bird feeders set up, each with a greater distance between them. These rodents are loners outside of their breeding season and like to fight each other!

Filling and maintenance

Fill the bird feeder well in advance of the first frost. You can already use suitable food in autumn, such as B. Collect acorns. Finding acorns in nature shouldn't be difficult. But you can also find hazelnuts and beechnuts on a walk in the forest. If you can go to the feeding station every day, then you shouldn't overcrowd it. Especially if you add pieces of fruit, they can rot quickly.

If necessary, clean the feeding station before adding new feed. Leave nuts in their hard shells and cones whole so that Sciurus vulgaris can “work” on their teeth. If you run out of supplies, make sure you only buy natural fruits, nuts and seeds.

Planting food

You are free to decide what exactly you want to feed the animals with in winter. But how about a longer-term solution? Why not plant a hazelnut bush or a walnut tree. And leave old seed pods until spring. Birds will be happy too.

Note: Always keep rain barrels covered with a lid to prevent a squirrel from falling into them. It is indeed a climbing artist, but it slips on a smooth rain barrel wall and drowns.