What Do Squirrels Eat?

The rumors are true: Squirrels love nuts and spend many of their waking hours finding and storing nuts and seeds of all types. According to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Eastern gray squirrels can bury 25 nuts or more in just 30 minutes and store up to 10,000 nuts per year.

But they don’t just stick with almonds, peanuts, and acorns—squirrels have a much more diverse palate, including green shoots, tender tree buds, berries, grubs, and mushrooms if available.

“Squirrels are generally considered omnivorous—that is, they have a very broad diet (like us),” says Sean Neiswenter, associate professor in the School of Life Sciences at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. “But the bulk of their diet consists of different plant material, such as seeds, fruits, and herbaceous vegetation.”

Squirrels aren’t picky. The specific plants, seeds, and veggies they eat vary based on geographic location and seasonal availability. They’ll also help themselves to whatever’s growing in your garden.

“They will eat flowers like roses, tulips, dandelions, hibiscus, and clover,” says Paula Hodge, a wildlife rehabilitator and the operator of Crikey Wildlife Rescue in Spring Hill, Florida. Squirrels will even eat pet food that’s left outside.

Along with nuts and vegetation, squirrels will eat meat on occasion. The Wildlife Center of Long Island describes them as “opportunistic omnivores,” meaning squirrels will eat bird eggs, baby birds, amphibians like frogs, lizards, rodents, insects, and dead animals they come across.

But while squirrels are known to eat meat on occasion, “it is not considered a primary part of their diet,” Neiswenter says.

Squirrels eat a wide variety of food, but that doesn’t mean all food is safe for them to munch on. In fact, some common foods are downright dangerous because they are toxic to squirrels or contribute to health problems. 

Chocolate is one food that’s toxic to squirrels, just like it is for dogs and cats. This is because chocolate contains theobromine, a chemical that squirrels can’t metabolize.

But there’s another reason to keep your chocolate stash safely out of the reach of a hungry squirrel: “Chocolate also has caffeine in it, which, if you’ve ever watched squirrels, you know they don’t need any caffeine,” says Neiswenter.

Other foods that are unhealthy for squirrels to eat include our favorite salty and sweet snacks, such as:

• Potato chips
• Pizza
• Lunch meat
• Ice cream

These foods are all high in calories; often full of sugar, salt, or preservatives; and low in nutrients. A squirrel feasting on this junk food will neglect healthier, natural foods.

Wildlife experts generally agree that squirrels don’t need a handout and, in many ways, are better left to forage a natural diet from the environment. But if you want to offer a squirrel food, there are some important points to keep in mind.

First and foremost: Do not hand-feed squirrels. They have sharp incisors and might accidentally bite you. Instead, use a squirrel feeder to offer healthy treats.

What To Feed Squirrels

Some squirrel-friendly foods you can offer are:

• Almonds
• Apples
• Cherries
• Carrots
• Corn
• Food blends designed for squirrels
• Leafy green veggies
• Peanuts
• Pecans
• Sunflower seeds

Here are some more must-know tips about feeding squirrels:

• If you’re going to feed squirrels nuts and seeds, make sure they’re unsalted to avoid sodium overload.
• Use nuts still in the shell if you enjoy watching squirrels in your yard. “The animal will stick around longer while they spend time getting the nut out of the shell, which is entertaining for both of you,” Neiswenter says.
• Don’t be surprised if your squirrel feed invites other small rodents, too. To minimize the chance of mice and rats showing up in your yard, put out only small amounts of food at a time and clean up when the squirrels are done feeding.
• Avoid direct contact with squirrels and their urine or feces.

With these precautions in place, you can feed squirrels in a safe and healthy way.

This content was medically reviewed by Molly Price, DVM, Chewy veterinarian.