Squirrels Are Scavengers

     The other day I threw some stale bread out for the birds, but the squirrels ate it...all I thought they ate was seeds and nuts. That's wrong! 

     First off, squirrels are not just squirrels. There are many varieties of squirrels found across the country: red squirrels, ground squirrels, grey squirrels, fox squirrels, flying squirrels, black squirrels, striped squirrels, and many more. They are closely related to chipmunks, prairie dogs and...woodchucks (aka groundhogs). 

     Some quick research revealed that squirrels are not the picky eaters I thought they were. They will at least try just about anything. If they live around a human picnic area the will chow down on discarded sandwiches, hot dogs, hamburgers...anything that's in the garbage cans. 

     They also like fruit pears, grapes, apples, kiwi, avocados, peaches, nectarines, figs, plums, mangoes, citrus fruit, strawberries, blackberries, blue berries, raspberries, mulberries, bananas, watermelons, cantaloupe and cherries...to name a few. They also like vegetables: leafy greens such as lettuce, chard, kale, spinach or arugula. 

     They like vegetables, too: tomatoes, radishes, corn, squash, beans, corn, peas, root vegetables, the greens of any root vegetables, okra, eggplant, Brussels sprouts, carrots, broccoli, cabbage, asparagus, celery, cauliflower, cabbage and leeks...to name many. 

     Squirrels naturally love grains and nuts in breakfast cereals like Chex, Cheerios, shredded wheat, corn flakes and Grape Nuts. Of course, they are also nuts about nuts which they like to store for later. Nuts are one of their most naturally desired foods because they are an optimal source of fat and protein. This also includes birdseed which might also be called squirrel seed. 

     Oddly, squirrels will also eat cheese, they love it and they don't care what kind it is! Another surprising thing in their diet is...insects! Caterpillars, larvae, winged bugs, grasshoppers, butterflies, crickets, etc. They also like dog and cat food of any kind, but it's not good for them. 

     Squirrels will also eat fungi...mushrooms which they will sometimes let dry in order to eat it later. They also eat lichen, the small fungi that grows in moist areas on tree bark. 

     They have also been known to steal eggs out of bird nests and chicken coops. As far as that goes, if times are hard enough squirrels will also eat hatchlings, young chicks, baby birds and the dead baby birds that have fallen from their nests. 

     They eat roots, leaves, grass, plants stalks and anything else with a nutritional value to them. Their preference is for tender stalks and branches of plants and things like flower buds. Of course, they also love the seeds from plants like sunflowers, pumpkins and such. That includes plant bulbs. 

     What won't they eat? Just a few things: raw onions, raw garlic, hot peppers such as jalapenos, dairy products (except for cheese), chocolate, junk food, candy, highly processed foods they may find in trash cans. At least in some areas they have better sense than humans.