What do squirrels eat besides nuts?

[TheSlimShady]

There's a lot of them around here that I'm always feeding nuts and some other things too.. but they're getting way to expensive. I can't afford $5 a day:rolleyes:

I can buy this stuff in bulk..but still. I can't find any grains or anything cheap that they eat.

Little seed things like Millet the birds are going for..

Anyone know what exact grains they'll eat? How about buckwheat? Um.. can't think of anything else..

[Cavy]

My reply probably won't help because I don't believe in feeding wild squirrels. They will adapt to being fed by humans and if you miss one day they will not think to go find some themselves they'll just wait and could starve themselves. Also if you moved houses they would still expect food and not get it. 1 more thing is they will learn humans are nice. Although us petlovers are nice to them there are many people who would try to hurt and kill the squirrel no dought about it.

Just my point. Sorry for bugging you

[TheSlimShady]

Iornic.
I don't believe in keeping squirrels as pets. But I won't go there.

[Ann Vole]

It depends on the species of squirrel: I am assuming you are talking some sort of tree squirrel species and that you are feeding wild ones with a squirrel feeder.

Most species of tree squirrel will hide every bit of food they can get their little paws on so I would not be surprised if 90 percent of the food you give them is not actually eaten but instead is shoved into the grass or stached somewhere. You can make it more challenging for the squirrels to get the stuff so you are more entertained watching them and they are less likely to bother getting more food when they are full. Tree squirrels need a higher oil/fat and protein levels them most other s so most seeds will not interest them. They will find seeds that have been "glued" onto something using peanut butter and/or suet to be of interest where alone they would not. They like peanuts and sunflower seeds and dried corn but all three have potential health problems if they eat too many. In the wild, they generally eat the seeds inside pine cones, green nuts, dried mushrooms, and berries which might give you ideas of other foods you might be able to find cheeper. Remember that squirrels can do fine on any seeds so if they are not eating some of the bird seeds, they are well fed.