Squirrels absolutely eat plants, and they are recognized as adaptable, generalist foragers that consume a wide variety of botanical matter. While the image of a squirrel hoarding nuts is well-known, these rodents readily shift their diet to include whatever food sources are available throughout the year. This opportunistic feeding behavior frequently frustrates gardeners, as tender garden plants offer an easily accessible and nutrient-rich food supply.
The Primary Plant-Based Diet of Squirrels
The diet of a squirrel revolves around high-energy food sources like nuts and seeds, but their plant consumption extends far beyond these traditional items when other foods are scarce. They are notorious for digging up and consuming flower bulbs, particularly varieties like tulips and crocuses. Squirrels target these subterranean structures because they represent a concentrated package of carbohydrates and proteins, making them a dense energy reserve.
Above ground, the focus shifts to various parts of the plant, including young shoots, flowers, and foliage. Many flowers, such as daisies and sunflowers, are frequently consumed, often leaving behind a partially eaten bloom or a missing center disk. Squirrels cause damage to vegetable gardens, where they target ripening produce like tomatoes, summer squash, zucchini, and various berries.
Woody plant material is also consumed, especially the bark and twigs of young trees. Squirrels strip the outer layer to access the soft, inner bark, known as the cambium layer, which carries essential nutrients and sap. This behavior is often observed in late winter or early spring and provides necessary minerals like calcium and sodium when other food sources are depleted. They also seek out fungi, including mushrooms and truffles, to supplement their diet.
Understanding Squirrel Motivation for Eating Plants
The motivation behind a squirrel’s plant consumption is driven by environmental necessity and physiological needs. The most significant driver is seasonal necessity, as the shift in diet occurs when their preferred mast crops are no longer available or begin to sprout. During the late winter and early spring, they turn to plants to bridge the nutritional gap until new seeds and fruits become abundant.
Hydration is another primary motivation, especially during dry weather when standing water sources are limited. Fleshy fruits and vegetables, such as tomatoes and cucumbers, are consumed primarily for their high water content. This explains why they may take a single bite out of many different pieces of produce, extracting the moisture before moving on.
Squirrels also consume plant material to fulfill specific nutrient gaps. Gnawing on tree bark is a method of acquiring necessary minerals and serves the dual purpose of maintaining their continuously growing incisor teeth.
Practical Methods for Minimizing Plant Damage
Protecting a garden from squirrel damage requires a multi-faceted approach that combines physical exclusion with taste and scent deterrents.
Physical Barriers
The most reliable method for protecting newly planted bulbs and container gardens is the use of physical barriers. Covering the planted area with galvanized hardware cloth, which has small openings, or chicken wire effectively prevents squirrels from digging. The wire should be secured over the soil surface or slightly buried around the perimeter. For raised beds and valuable vegetable plants, creating a cage structure with wire mesh offers full protection, though the mesh must be anchored securely to prevent squirrels from lifting the edges. To protect trees from bark stripping, a smooth, wide metal band wrapped around the trunk at least six feet off the ground can prevent access. Bird feeders should also be equipped with baffles to remove them as an easy, alternate food source.
Repellents and Deterrents
Repellents work by making plants unpalatable or unattractive. Their effectiveness is temporary and often requires frequent reapplication, especially after rain or irrigation. Taste-based deterrents often utilize capsaicin, the compound that makes chili peppers hot, which can be applied to plant surfaces as a spray. Scent-based deterrents, such as peppermint oil or applications containing predator urine, can also be used to make the area undesirable to squirrels.
Habitat Modification
Habitat modification is another effective strategy, focusing on removing or replacing the food sources that attract them. Planting species that squirrels naturally avoid near more vulnerable plants can offer a degree of protection.
Squirrels naturally avoid plants such as:
- Daffodils
- Hyacinths
- Allium (ornamental onions)
Removing fallen fruit and securing trash cans eliminates easy food sources, encouraging the squirrels to forage elsewhere rather than focusing their attention on the cultivated garden space.