Gray Squirrel eats from the tree.

Gray Squirrel eats from the tree.
With over 200 species of squirrels, including grey tree squirrels, red tree squirrels, ground squirrels, fox squirrels, flying squirrels, striped squirrels, and black squirrels. You might have asked yourself what do squirrels eat, especially, if you love feeding the wildlife from the comfort of your home. Well, I’ve gone out to find the answers for you.

Truth be told, squirrels have a healthy appetite for many native flowers, veggies, fungi, plants, flowers, and some insects that can be found in their natural habitat.

They are not picky eaters and will eat pretty much anything they can get their paws on. The other day, the grabbed some sugary snacks that we left on our front porch by our kids. If you’re looking to feed squirrels in your backyard, then you’ll want to check out squirrel feeder article.

We’ll take a closer look at some of their favorite foods, foods you should avoid feeding them as well as other important things you need to know about their diet.
Are Squirrels Carnivore or Herbivore
Squirrels are members of the Sciuridae family, which are considered rodents. They are primarily herbivores and will eat a variety of plants, nuts, and seeds. (sesame seeds, safflower seeds, poppy seeds, and pumpkin seeds)
Their diet shifts depending on the time of year. The majority of ground squirrels will go into hibernation each winter and when they come out of their drey, they will eat things like herbs, grasses, veggies, flowers, and pretty much anything else they can find
They are NOT picky eaters and they consume pretty much anything.
What Do Squirrels Eat In The Wild?
Some people believe that you should never feed wild animals because they can become a nuisance, or it is illegal. However, this hasn’t stopped people from feeding wild animals.

Even if you don’t feed them, there’s a good chance that a squirrel will venture onto your property foraging for scraps, waste or other items they can take back to their nest.

However, if food is abundant where they live, there’s a good chance that you may not see them on your property. You also may be able to prevent them from causing damage by feeding them the best squirrel food at their feeders.

They tend to eat wherever they can access their chow without a lot of effort.
Fruits and Veggies
If you have a vegetable garden, it won’t be hard to find their bushy-tailed critters happily eating your veggies. They love eating different types of fruits and vegetable that consist of watermelons, bananas, plums, kiwi’s, apples, mangoes, nectarines, grapes, sweet potatoes, peaches, kale, broccoli, peas, carrots, zucchini, yellow squash, and pease.
Both fruits and vegetables an excellent source of nutrition for these critters.