Garden Wildlife UK

Good morning all,

Just wondering what a good food to put out in the garden for squirrels?

johnd - I wrote you a long reply and it disappeared

http://www.birdfood.co.uk/ctrl/node:141 ... /squirrels

They like peanuts and the ones in their shells - monkey nuts - and will eat sunflower hearts.

Thanks nuthatch

Squirrels are experts at finding food for themselves. My personal inclination is to let them do just that. They can be a major nuisance if you're hoping to attract birds as they pillage the feeders when the easy sources of food have been eaten. The final decision clearly rests with yourself but the list of benefits that having lots of Squirrels in your garden can bring is very short.

Jacksparrow wrote: The final decision clearly rests with yourself but the list of benefits that having lots of Squirrels in your garden can bring is very short.

Amen to that

That is a very good point Jacksparrow. I didn't think of that. I have so much to learn in the world of wildlife. I will stick with birds. I did see a nice little butterfly house

Yes, it depends how many turn up and how often - some people are fighting a constant battle with them and they can chew up all sorts of things.

We've never had more then three in the garden at the same time and usually it's just one. They don't eat very much and are soon gone - they nest in a huge tree outside the garden and spend a lot of time scampering about up there.

I suppose a few of my hanging feeders are squirrel resistant and I have got a metal squirrel feeder on the fence. I did have a wooden one and one squirrel chewed the lid trying to get at the peanuts inside

I was watching squirrel yesterday running across the garden and running up the sickermore tree with twigs and grass.

Oh, I wonder what was going on - I've just read that they breed December - February and May - June

Squirrels will hibernate if the weather gets very cold so perhaps the one spotted was building a comfy retreat should the weather turn nasty this winter.