Squirrels and Their Nasty Eating Habits

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     Squirrels are creatures worth adoring. They are famous for their eating habits and agility. Being at the bottom of food chain, agility is something they really need. You are likely to come across those adorable creatures if you have luxury homes or luxury real estate in some deserted place. Normally, they do not come near human dwellings and are never willing to leave their own territory. Besides agility, squirrels are also quite active throughout the year.

They do not appear tough at first glance, but are quite capable of thriving in harsh climatic conditions. This is why you will see them spending their time in storing and eating nuts. Squirrels are also fond of berries and would not mind even grazing on a vegetable patch.

At times, they get nasty and eat bird seed straight from feeders. This gets really tiring for home owners who have to clean up all the mess created by squirrels and restore the supply of seeds back in the feeders. There are others who are not troubled by squirrels messing up bird feeders.

Moreover, they are possessive about their territory, and can attack birds or even humans. In such a case, you do not want to end up near an angry squirrel. However, a well-fed squirrel would not be a big nuisance. In order to befriend them and keep them happy, you can buy a separate squirrel feeder.

Squirrel feeders can be hung from trees. You can place nuts in those boxes so that they do not come down to nibble off seeds from the bird feeder. Perhaps, planting a nut-bearing tree will be a good idea or you can simply scatter tree nuts in your lawn.

If you get squirrels messing up bird feeders even after that, then you can place a bird feeder on top of a baffle. It gets quite difficult for squirrels to climb up to this device. You can even add hot pepper to bird seeds. This drives squirrels away from those feeders and is not harmful to birds.

But these smart little guys can do anything to get their food. No matter what height you place the bird feeder; squirrels will find a way to reach it somehow. They manage to jump over to reach it because many squirrels are capable of gliding. You might be wondering why they are after bird seeds when they have a diverse diet?

It is true that squirrels can eat insects, tree buds, nuts, and fruits, but above all they like to mess around with bird feeders. You are likely to find them near bird feeders mostly in summer. You will notice them in the early morning or mid-afternoon, while during the remaining day, they rest. In winter, however, you will notice that their forage for food is at its peak during noontime.

Another intriguing fact about squirrels is their habit of hiding food. They can dig deep holes about three to four inches deep to bury nuts. It pushes down the nut with its nose and pulls the soil over using its paws. When the squirrel wishes to retrieve the nut, it is directed to the place with its sense of smell.