Keep dropping food on the ground in front of you until the squirrel comes to eat from your outstretched hand. I’d say it’s pretty safe the feed the squirrels indirectly. I actually had a squirrel I used to feed. Why do many people only adopt puppies/kittens rather than adult animals? Feeding the squirrels unfortunately might only result in feeding the invaders. While not so common, squirrels can sometimes carry rabies, or other deadly diseases. A lot of people like to feed birds. They like nuts. This article was co-authored by our trained team of editors and researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. The article makes. They loved them. Their little teeth are … My grandmother used to hand feed squirrels peanuts, until one bit her when the peanut slipped out of her hand. However all animals are different. It takes time for them to realize you aren't dangerous. Don't use things like cookies though, find healthy things for them (like peanuts as you are doing now). You will need thick rubber gloves when dealing with any kind of wild animal invasion, and this is definitely the case with the squirrel - an animal with seriously sharp teeth and claws. I was able to hand feed like 3 new squirrels in a couple days. Squirrels aren't use to human interaction so it is best to let them come to you. There are 11 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. Peanut butter, nuts, grapes, sunflower seeds, it’s all good! What to Use to Feed Squirrels? With this being winter in the US, I thought it would be a good time to talk about this again. It was fine for a while. To hand feed a squirrel, start by attracting them to your yard with mesh feeders filled with tree nuts and seeds. Some people do enjoy eating the squirrel brain but there have been cases in the past where eating squirrel brain caused the prion disease. At this point, the squirrel will already be eating, but it might be enticed by tastier treats that it doesn’t have in its usual food, like fruits and vegetables. Yes, but squirrels are never really out during the winter. Enjoy the squirrels, but don't harm them by feeding them. Their little teeth are quite sharp so be careful if you ever feed it or any other one out of your hand again. Set up outdoor mesh feeders to get squirrels to come to your yard. If you are working with squirrels at a park or on a campus where they are already used to humans then teaching them to eat from your hand will be much faster. Feeding squirrels may cause them to lose their natural fear of humans, and this isn't good for either side of the equation. If youre like us, then you absolutely love feeding squirrels. They are not meant to be in captivity. trees for them to eat from. Its obvious that we dont want to feed them anything that is going to cause harm, and we dont want to feed them what would be considered the equivalent of junk f… I've had squirrels I've feed, left for a season then come back. If you wish to see the results of this, google: 'squirrels with overgrown teeth'. There have been many arguments regarding the matter of feeding the squirrels. Otherwise they seem to have some strong contact/ interaction with human, just as comparable to crows & house-sparrows. Besides the aesthetic problems that this creates, the constant chewing can stress a tree. I'll pass that along! generally no, but if all it wants is the food its not gonna waste time biting you, itll just grab the food and run off. it seems so many rural kids like to give food to the 3-striped squirrels. I don’t know what to do. Again, feeding wild animals sounds like a kind gesture, but it may also promote violence between squirrels, undoing what good you set out to do. Even among tree squirrels, the species matters as to the primary food source and storage strategy. Is there any way I could keep a pet elsewhere if an apartment complex doesn't allow it? All animals, tamed or not, are potentially dangerous. What's the worst name for a pet you've ever heard? It Spreads Disease. References On the flip side, you should also ask whether feeding a bird might cause it to aggressively seek handouts from people. Squirrels do bite when threatened. Keep trying. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. Try to be as still as possible to avoid scaring off the squirrels. I wouldn’t try to hand feed them or anything, but you can add feeders and areas to your backyard where the squirrels can get the food. A squirrel may get excited when you are refilling the feeder and jump on you. In general though, as long as the squirrel shows no aggression or signs of rabies, it's perfectly safe to occasionally feed a squirrel by hand, I do … Next, slowly approach the squirrels that come to your feeder regularly. This article has been viewed 134,951 times. Then the next thing you know some teenagers catch it and light it on fire. By using our site, you agree to our. For the most part, squirrels are among the safer wild animals to feed. If you enjoy watching squirrels but want to avoid the above dangers, feed them naturally and safely by planting native trees and shrubs in your yard that produce nuts and berries. I usually leave a few peanuts for the squirrels that come up on my deck in the morning and they love them. Put fresh food out every day so the squirrels will associate your scent with feeding time. If the squirrel doesn’t come to your feeder regularly, they probably aren’t used to your scent and will be scared off as soon as you approach. For example, you can feed squirrels some nuts as desert after they’ve eaten all of their vegetables. They are wild animals, and will bite and scratch to escape. Please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. If you’re worried about the squirrels getting into your other feeders, set up squirrel baffles, like wind chimes or reflective surfaces, to repel them. You do not raise wild squirrels. Let it go and let it be free. 99% of the time, it's safe. It actually isn’t healthy for the squirrels either, because people do not necessarily give them food that is good for them. It will be much happier in the wild. We’ve all seen the typical portrayal of a cute squirrel shoving a … Hand-fed wild animals lose their fear of humans. Don't use things like cookies though, find healthy things for them (like peanuts as you are doing now). All squirrels are different. I have been doing these steps every day all day and I still can't hand feed or even get close to it, why? Even in the absence of invaders, feeding wildlife is associated with risks. Squirrels in busy areas have learned pretty well not to bite the hands that feed them. If you’re not sure what sounds to make, look up videos of squirrel noises to get a better idea. I'm hanging stuff in the, "They love peanut butter cookies! Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Don't charge at or reach out to grab a squirrel, since it can scare them. "They eat on my porch now, but by reading what you said, I'm going to start something else. I didn't know they love pumpkin seeds! They should be also foraging for some of their meals so that they do not become fully dependent on human handouts. Should I keep it if it's happier with me? How do I get them to come? Squirrels can also consume debris from the animal carcass. How often do I feed the squirrel per day? 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