Feeding squirrels in winter

During the winter season, while some animals hibernate, others must rely on sufficient food and shelter to survive. Squirrels, for instance, are only active for a few hours each day during this time. Within this limited window, they must gather enough food to sustain themselves. However, squirrels often face challenges in relocating their food caches, especially in parks or gardens where human activity and alterations are common. To support these furry creatures, providing supplementary food can be a beneficial approach.

Should you feed squirrels and, if so, what should you give them? Squirrels mainly eat seeds, nuts and flower buds, but also fungi and chestnuts. The type of food they eat will vary depending on the season. Before winter arrives, squirrels will store food in many places around their habitat and will return to these caches during the winter months. In general, giving squirrels additional food will not harm them. As squirrels are already beginning their gestation period in January, the females in particular need a lot of food in the middle of winter. The first of their young are born in February and will start looking for food themselves in March and April.

Feeding

The best thing to feed squirrels is a mixture of hazelnuts, walnuts, sunflower seeds, chopped carrot, unsweetened rusk, watermelon, chopped apple, grapes, kiwifruit and lots of fresh water.

If possible, set up feeding points at different places in your garden so that the squirrels can avoid each other, as in general you will find that you get multiple visitors. Setting up a special squirrel feeder will make sure that no birds or other animals can get at the food.