Many people enjoy squirrels in their yards, often providing them with food. This creates a regular feeding routine for these wild animals. Understanding what happens when this consistent food source is removed offers insights into squirrel behavior and their adaptability.
Squirrels’ Natural Foraging
Squirrels are natural foragers with a diverse diet, considered omnivores and opportunistic feeders. Their diet includes nuts, seeds, wild fruits, fungi, insects, leaf buds, and tree bark. In autumn, squirrels gather high-calorie foods like nuts and seeds, storing them for colder months.
Squirrels employ caching behaviors, primarily scatter-hoarding, burying individual food items in numerous shallow holes. They use memory and a keen sense of smell to relocate these hidden caches, even under snow. This natural resourcefulness and adaptability highlight their capacity to find sustenance independently.
Immediate Behavioral Shifts
When a human-provided food source is removed, squirrels exhibit immediate behavioral adjustments. Initially, they may continue visiting the usual feeding spot, seeking the expected food. Their presence might remain consistent for a short period as they investigate the supply’s absence.
As the food source remains unavailable, squirrels increase their natural foraging activities. They broaden their search for natural foods like acorns, berries, and seeds, and may explore other human-related sources. This includes raiding bird feeders, investigating trash cans, or foraging in gardens. They quickly locate alternative food sources.
Impact on Your Property
Ceasing to feed squirrels leads to noticeable changes on your property. A primary observation is a decrease in the number of squirrels frequenting your outdoor areas, especially around the former feeding location. This results in less visible squirrel activity.
You may also observe fewer signs of their foraging, such as discarded nut shells or dug-up holes in lawns and garden beds. This can also lead to fewer instances of them chewing on outdoor items or attempting to access bird feeders. These changes reflect squirrels redirecting their efforts to find food in other natural or opportunistic locations.
Long-Term Considerations
In the long term, squirrels are resilient and adaptable to changes in food availability. Their survival is not dependent on human feeding, as they have evolved to thrive on natural food cycles and their caching strategies. Stopping consistent feeding encourages them to revert to innate foraging behaviors, aligning with their natural ecology.
Consistent human feeding can alter squirrels’ natural foraging patterns and impact their health if the provided food is not nutritionally appropriate. Allowing squirrels to rely on their natural instincts supports their well-being and maintains wild behaviors. This approach respects their adaptability and role within the broader ecosystem.