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What do squirrels like to eat besides bird seed?

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begin_within Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Mar-09-06 06:50 PM
Original message
What do squirrels like to eat besides bird seed?
I spread out bird seed on a low wall in our backyard, and it gets eaten by birds but lately I have also spied a squirrel there, which is an uncommon sight in my neighborhood (edge of a canyon in the center of San Diego). He or she seems to run around looking for things to eat and he might be eating some of it, but I was wondering if there is something else I can spread there which he/she might like more.
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Shakespeare Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Mar-09-06 06:51 PM
Response to Original message
1. This may also count as bird seed, but...
they'll go bonkers for sunflower seeds.
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begin_within Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Mar-09-06 06:52 PM
Response to Reply #1
3. thanks
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Book Lover Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Mar-09-06 06:51 PM
Response to Original message
2. My father used to try
peanut better and birdseed spread on pine cones - they would be the "low-lying fruit" for the squirrels that he'd toss on the ground away from the feeder - usually they'd gorge on those and leave the bird feeder alone. Usually. Good luck!
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begin_within Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Mar-09-06 06:54 PM
Response to Reply #2
4. Thanks - my sister suggested to go to Wal-Mart and buy these little dried
corn cobs that they sell, she said the squirrels pick them up and eat the corn right off them while holding the cobs. Of course, being a DU'er, you can easily guess what my problem is with that scenario.
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Book Lover Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Mar-09-06 06:57 PM
Response to Reply #4
7. Are you in a place where there are Agway stores?
I don't know anything about their politics, but that's the place my father gets his seeds and other farming/gardening stuff. Maybe they'd have what your sister describes...
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begin_within Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Mar-09-06 08:16 PM
Response to Reply #7
22. No but maybe I can order it online. Thanks
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uppityperson Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Mar-09-06 06:55 PM
Response to Original message
5. sunflower seeds, peanut butter, dried fieldcorn, nuts and raisens...
go to a pet store or feed store or some sort of place and buy anything along that line. Mine like suet and high fat stuff during the winter. Spread peanutbutter in a big pinecone, or drill holes in a board and fill them with peanutbutter and that will keep them happy for a while.
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Katherine Brengle Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Mar-09-06 06:55 PM
Response to Original message
6. peanut butter...
My mom is a total animal nut, and when I was younger we had a squirrel for awhile, living in our house, because she found it in the backyard with a broken leg or something (I was like 10 years old) and nursed it back to health.

I seem to recall it liking peanut butter.

It lived in our backyard after it got better, and never left, lol.
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Puglover Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Mar-09-06 06:57 PM
Response to Original message
8. My fucking tulips
and the buds off my Red Horse Chestnut

:mad:
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Alleycat Donating Member (992 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Mar-09-06 07:06 PM
Response to Reply #8
10. he he
mine ate those as well, the little bastards dug them up about 12 hours after I planted them.
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Alleycat Donating Member (992 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Mar-09-06 07:05 PM
Response to Original message
9. My little guys eat just about anything
they ate thru screen, plastic, wire and are currently gnawing on the metal can I keep the birdseed in!

but seriously I put out unsalted peanuts, corncobs (pet store not Walmart, stale bread, crackers.
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TheBaldyMan Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Mar-09-06 07:07 PM
Response to Original message
11. little songbirds' eggs and chicks
although I wouldn't tell the petshop that's what you want them for.
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SofaKingLiberal Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Mar-09-06 07:14 PM
Response to Original message
12. I recently started feeding a few squirrels from my balcony.
So far I have given them crackers, cookies, pizza, bread and chex mix. They seem to like Girl Scout peanut butter cookies the best.
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DawgHouse Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Mar-10-06 09:22 AM
Response to Reply #12
30. Ha! GS cookies!
Those are probably like "crack" to a squirrel! :)
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tigereye Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Mar-09-06 07:14 PM
Response to Original message
13. our frigging spark plug wires!
:cry:
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greatauntoftriplets Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Mar-09-06 08:00 PM
Response to Reply #13
21. That happened to a friend of mine!!!
She has a visceral hatred of squirrels to this day.
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tigereye Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Mar-09-06 08:19 PM
Response to Reply #21
23. mmm I was surprised!
I wonder why they eat them... we assumed that it was because it was cold and they wanted to warm up in the engine...I can't see what nutritional value the wires would have. :shrug:
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greatauntoftriplets Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Mar-09-06 09:12 PM
Response to Reply #23
24. Squirrels seem to be like teenage boys....
they'll eat anything. Houses included. I am having some repairs done to the house right now because they chewed their way into a space over the living room.

My friend even had a dead squirrel in her engine when she took the car to the dealership to be fixed. Now I cringe whenever I see a squirrel run under my car.
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tigereye Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Mar-10-06 09:13 AM
Response to Reply #24
28. huh!
they chewed up husband's spark plug wires and we also had to have the engine mount replaced to the tune of $400 plus and now.... my car!

I bet the wires aren't good for them... we figured they just chew on whatever is at hand! I hope there are none in the house. That would really suck.

:hi:

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Debi Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Mar-09-06 07:15 PM
Response to Original message
14. Corn - dried on the cob if you can get it and peanuts in the shell
Our squirrels love to open the peantus and dig out the nuts while sitting on the railing of our portch.
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hatredisnotavalue Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Mar-09-06 07:18 PM
Response to Original message
15. Tortilla chips!!! n/t
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SoCalDem Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Mar-09-06 07:20 PM
Response to Original message
16. Squirrels are opportunists..
The easy stuff first..and then whatever they find..
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huskerlaw Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Mar-09-06 07:21 PM
Response to Original message
17. Cat food.
I leave cat food sitting out on my balcony, right next to the bird feeder and there's a squirrel who likes to stop by for a snack. He completely prefers the Science Diet cat food to the bird seed. x(
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alphafemale Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Mar-09-06 07:21 PM
Response to Original message
18. Spaghetti. And it's fun to watch them eat it!
Found a Google Image.

This is one FAT Squirrel!

http://www.boobooinc.com.nyud.net:8090/sq/nw/swthrt07.jpg
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Beaverhausen Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Mar-09-06 07:53 PM
Response to Original message
19. Peanuts - in the shell
Edited on Thu Mar-09-06 07:54 PM by Beaverhausen
they love them! and it's fun to watch them get into the shell!
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greatauntoftriplets Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Mar-09-06 07:59 PM
Response to Original message
20. Houses...
I kid you not!
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Rex_Goodheart Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Mar-09-06 09:16 PM
Response to Original message
25. They love sunflower seeds.
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pitohui Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Mar-09-06 09:17 PM
Response to Original message
26. buckshot?
Edited on Thu Mar-09-06 09:17 PM by pitohui
:-)

sorry to be mean but my war against the squirrels is pretty much an ongoing saga

don't even start feeding them it only encourages them

invest in a better bird feeder w. a good sturdy squirrel/raccoon guard, you'll save a fortune at the end of the day
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tallahasseedem Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Mar-09-06 09:17 PM
Response to Original message
27. Any friggin plastic piece of anything around my house.
I hate those little fuckers.
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DawgHouse Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Mar-10-06 09:21 AM
Response to Original message
29. Peanuts in the shell and bread.
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samplegirl Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Mar-10-06 09:28 AM
Response to Original message
31. I've got a tree with baby red squirrels
I would like to leave feed out for them, but when I do...it attracts the raccoons. One night I threw a bag of popcorn out
and heard loud munching went and go the flashlight nine coons
with glaring eyes.

A stray cat just had babies up on my next door neighbors deck
so I've refrained from feeding.
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