Squirrels are often viewed as pests but there’s an important reason why they should be fed in winter, especially the females who are vulnerable in January.
Wildlife experts have revealed all the reasons why squirrels should be allowed to explore your garden, even if you fear they’ll ruin your plants. The more commonly seen grey squirrels, and occasional red ones, are known for causing hell – they can eat growing fruit and vegetables, dig up bulbs and even strip bark from trees.
But experts claim they are, in fact, a really useful addition to a garden’s ecosystem. And we can all give them a helping hand this winter as they battle extreme cold temperatures across the UK and refuse to hibernate like frogs and hedgehogs commonly do. According to the Express, they enter a “lighter sleep” and are active for a few hours per day. Therefore they need lots of energy-rich food to get through winter. Plantura, a wildlife website, labels squirrels as “wonderful garden mates.”
“Squirrels are easy to observe as they flit from tree to tree in search of food,” it says. “The reason for their elaborate search for food is the approaching winter. Since squirrels do not hibernate but enter a lighter stage of sleep known as torpor, they must stock up on energy-rich food to survive the colder months. A walnut tree (Juglans regia) or a common hazel (Corylus avellana) in the garden helps these little creatures fill up their food reserves”.
According to Gardena, the best thing to do in winter is to feed them. It says squirrels often find food and hide it, but are often unable to find their hiding places again. Their diets are made up mostly of nuts, seeds and flower buds, along with fungi and chestnuts.
Gardena says: “The type of food they eat will vary depending on the season. Before winter arrives, squirrels will store food in many places around their habitat and will return to these caches during the winter months. In general, giving squirrels additional food will not harm them. As squirrels are already beginning their gestation period in January, the females in particular need a lot of food in the middle of winter. The first of their young are born in February and will start looking for food themselves in March and April.”
Anyone who has watched squirrels fighting for food before will know that having one feeding point in your garden is bound to cause ill-feeling between the animals. That’s why it’s recommended to set up more than one feeding area in your garden if you can. “Setting up a special squirrel feeder will make sure that no birds or other animals can get at the food,” Gardena added.