Squirrels are fluffy climbing acrobats that are increasingly found in gardens. Nature lovers often ask themselves whether and how the animals should be fed. If you want to support them, you should use the natural conditions as a guide.

Squirrels especially like to eat cones

Table of Contents

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  1. the essentials in brief
  2. What do squirrels eat?
  3. Feeding useful?
  4. to feed squirrels
  5. frequently asked Questions

    6. the essentials in brief

    • Squirrels are omnivores that eat differently depending on the season. They eat both plant and animal food.
    • While sufficient food is available between spring and autumn, the animals have to keep afloat with supplies in winter. These are laid underground before the cold snap.
    • The climbing artists like to accept diverse seed mixtures, which consist of fruits of native tree species. Young animals get special emergency food in the form of porridge.

    What do squirrels eat in nature?

    Squirrels adapt their diet to the season. They are omnivores and mainly gather nuts, fruits such as berries or seeds and grains. Plant materials such as buds and flowers, bark or the tree sap flowing from wounds are also eaten. Occasionally you can see squirrels eating lichen and fungi as well as animal food. As predators, they capture worms, bird eggs and young birds or insects, snails and larvae.

    Needs of a squirrel:

    • about 100 spruce cones per day
    • corresponds to an average quantity of 80 to 100 grams
    • in winter, squirrels eat about 35 grams a day
    • very high water demand

    digression

    How do squirrels eat?

    Squirrels hold their food with their front paws

    Squirrels hold their food with their front paws. They tear off the covering scales with the help of their teeth in order to get at the valuable contents of a spruce cone. Hazelnuts and walnuts are opened after a few seconds by the animals gnawing a hole in the shell with their front incisors. These then serve as leverage to break open the nut. This behavior is not innate. Young squirrels learn how to crack nuts from their parents.

    What do squirrels eat in winter?

    When the cold season approaches, squirrels need to stock up. In order not to starve in winter, an adequate supply of food is of great importance. The animals prefer to collect seeds, which they bury directly on tree roots or push under protruding pieces of bark and between branch forks. They use their fine sense of smell to find supplies. Every year there are seeds that are not found and begin to grow. Squirrels thus play an important role in forest regeneration and renewal.

    Behavior of European squirrels:

    • deciduous forests: no food in winter, so stockpiles are essential for survival
    • mixed forests: Burying seeds ensures survival
    • coniferous forests: provide enough cones in winter so squirrels don't need to stock up

    What do squirrels eat in summer?

    In spring, after the snow has melted, the animals go hunting for protein-rich insects and worms. When the breeding season begins, squirrels appear as nest robbers. However, they do not pose a threat to native songbirds. Trees are an essential food source. In addition to nuts, squirrels especially like to eat fresh branches and buds or bark in the spring.

    Does feeding make sense?

    Normally, squirrels find enough food in nature so that supplementary feeding is not necessary. Studies show that the stock does not benefit sufficiently from an additional supply of feed. However, helping individual animals is good for the soul and feeding them in the garden offers children a special experience of nature, because they can observe the animals up close.

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    mast year

    In forestry, the fattening year is of particular importance. Trees that produce particularly high-energy seeds follow a cyclic fruiting process. Most years, deciduous trees bear little to no fruit. Every six to ten years there is the so-called mast year, in which the tree invests all its energy in seed production.

    Why the tree is pursuing the mast year strategy:

    • survive: The germination rate is higher the more seeds are formed
    • regulation: Reproduction rate of herbivores low in years with few seeds
    • success: small populations cannot fully utilize the fruits of a fattening year

    food supply

    Forest management methods change the composition of the forest tree population. Mixed forests with trees of different ages provide good food sources. However, such species-rich forests are becoming increasingly rare, so that squirrels are retreating to urban areas. Here, too, parks and gardens have few old trees. In winter, there is also a risk that squirrels will not be able to find their supplies due to heavy snow cover or ground frost.

    What can you feed squirrels?

    Even with simple means, you can offer food to the animals in the garden or on the balcony. Foundlings need human help in certain situations. In case of illness, malnutrition or injury, it is necessary to contact competent personnel.

    offer food

    In the summer, but also during the cold season, automatic feeders in the garden are frequently visited. A window facilitates viewing, while a flap protects the lining from unwanted guests. Squirrels prefer to get peanuts from the feeding station, which they can easily open with their paws.

    How to feed properly:

    • do not set up feeding stations at ground level
    • multiple places in the tree reduce competition
    • Regular cleaning is important to prevent germs from multiplying
    • offer unshelled hazelnuts and walnuts, carrots, sunflower seeds, apples and grapes
    • Avoid eating leftovers or bread because of the risk of mold
    • offer peeled nuts for young animals

    tips

    Avoid cow's milk because it can cause diarrhea in squirrels and, in the worst cases, lead to death.

    Emergency food for boulders

    Helpless, hungry baby squirrels often seek out human contact

    Little squirrels seek out humans more often when they are hungry and desperate. They crawl up the trouser leg or come into the apartment via the balcony through the open window. You should not scare such animals away, because they are no longer cared for by their mother and need help.

    from week food crowd
    one 2 parts fennel tea and 1 part puppy milk substitute 1 to 2 ml
    four Milk mix and whole grain porridge for infants 3 to 4 ml
    six Mixture of whole grain porridge with pureed apples 6 to 8 ml

    tips

    It takes three months for young animals to be able to take care of themselves. Be sure to grow up with other squirrels so they learn survival strategies.

    Feed baby squirrels

    Babies a few days old get milk through a needle-free insulin syringe with a rubber plunger. If the animals are a little older, a syringe with a capacity of two or five milliliters is recommended. Young animals must be fed continuously every two hours. By the third week, the nocturnal feedings end. From the sixth week of life, four meals a day are sufficient.

    Feeding tips:

    • feed in a half supine position in an upright position
    • take breaks during feeding
    • feed in small amounts as overhydration can be fatal

    If you are unsure, or if the young animal shows symptoms, you should contact an expert sanctuary. Nature conservation organizations such as NABU and LBV are happy to help concerned citizens and can put you in touch with nearby associations.

    Squirrels can eat mushrooms that are poisonous to humans.

    frequently asked Questions

    What should I avoid when feeding squirrels?

    Squirrels should definitely be fed unsalted food

    Exotic fruit mixes have no place in the squirrel feeder, even if the animals are happy to accept these delicacies. Salt, sugar or other additives can harm your health. It is better for you to put together the food yourself, concentrating on local nuts, seeds and fruits. Kernels infested with mold pose a health risk. Soft food is not suitable for feeding alone. Squirrels' teeth grow continuously and require constant abrasion. So always mix in hard nuts.

    How do I make a squirrel feed mix?

    It's a myth that squirrels love to eat acorns. Its name is derived from the old German word "aig" and means something like nimble. Feed mixtures can be made according to your creativity. Mixtures of seeds with and without shells are especially valuable for animals of different ages. Fruits ensure the water supply.

    An orientation:

    • Chestnuts, pine nuts and pine nuts are particularly popular
    • Beechnuts, hazelnuts and walnuts form a good basis
    • Hornbeam seeds, sunflower seeds and cones enrich the mixture
    • Rose hips, sloes and rowan berries serve as delicacies
    • Watermelon and grapes bring refreshment on hot days

    Should I offer water for squirrels?

    The climbing artists have a high water requirement, which they often cannot cover sufficiently in the hot summer months. Therefore, it makes sense to offer a bowl of fresh water next to the bird feeder. This also makes sense in winter, because in snow-free months with permafrost there is often no water supply.

    Where should I set up the feeding station?

    The bird feeder and water bowl should always be placed in an elevated position. On the ground, the animals are easy prey for predators when eating. There should be no free lawn between the feeding place and the next tree. After collecting, it is important that the animals can withdraw directly to higher forked branches. Therefore, attach the house directly to the tree on a branch.

    How else can I help squirrels?

    Design your garden so that wild animals can find enough food and hide. Hazelnut and fruit bushes offer squirrels an ideal habitat. Dead tree stumps serve the acrobats as a good hiding place for their winter provisions.

Category:

Animals in the garden