How to properly feed a squirrel

Mospriroda has published on its website tips on proper feeding of squirrels and other wild animals. According to experts, in the natural environment, animals and birds are able to independently find their own food, being included in the food chain of ecosystems of natural areas.

Even in a mild and snowy winter, they can get their own food in natural conditions.

“Mospriroda experts recommend starting top dressing only with the onset of severe frosts or after the formation of ice on the ground. Otherwise, the natural instincts of the furry and feathered inhabitants will be dulled and it will be more difficult for them to survive in the natural environment without human help, ”the message emphasizes.

With the onset of frost, squirrels will be delighted with dried fruits, nuts (with the exception of almonds), acorns, unroasted and unsalted seeds.

“At the same time, it must be remembered that it is forbidden to feed animals from your hands: a cute squirrel has sharp teeth, it can bite painfully. Protein cannot be fed with salted and fried foods, muffins, bread, almonds, peanuts, pistachios, cherry pits, apricots, peaches," Mospriroda noted.

From October to the end of November, squirrels change their bright red summer fur for a rather long and thick gray one, so that it is easier to disguise themselves among the branches of trees. They actively stock up on food for the cold season - they fill the hollows with nuts, seeds, acorns and cones, and also bury them in different places. However, not all of their supplies are for the winter, and in the spring some fruits germinate.

“Also in autumn, the fluffy beauty insulates her house (more often it is a hollow or gayno) with animal hair, moss and dry grass. In the cold season, she takes refuge in her dwelling from snow, frost, winter winds and snowstorms," ​​the Mospriroda said.
To help the squirrels, you can make feeders for them and install them on special posts, tree trunks near uninhabited paths or in a small clearing near the paths. You can also make houses for squirrels and bring them to any ecocenter or the Directorate of Natural Territories of the GPBU Mospriroda.