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.