Please don't feed the squirrels, unless you want them to move in | Sally Scalera

Sally Scalera
·4 min read

Many gardeners enjoy attracting wildlife to their yards by using feeders, nesting boxes or planting specific plants for them.

When it comes to squirrels though, my suggestion is only to add plants to your landscape that provide food and shelter for squirrels, instead of providing them food. If you have a bird feeder, that the squirrels are visiting, check online for a bird feeder baffle, to protect the bird seed so the squirrels cannot reach it.

Squirrels can be entertaining to watch (though agitating for dogs) and can be attracted to your landscape with minimal effort.  Attracting squirrels with feeders, however, is not recommended, because that could lead to more problems than benefits. Feeders often encourage more squirrels to live in an area than can be supported by the surrounding habitat. When this occurs, squirrels may search out nesting sites in your home, causing property damage. Many squirrels that reside in an attic or garage ceiling can be traced to a feeding situation.

Squirrels normally nest in mature trees, so if you don’t have any mature trees, provide nesting boxes.  This will help to keep them out of your attic.  Bluebird-size nesting boxes can be used for flying squirrels and wood duck-size nesting boxes are needed for the larger gray and fox squirrels.

Plant trees and shrubs that attract squirrels, but don't try to attract them with a feeder.
Plant trees and shrubs that attract squirrels, but don't try to attract them with a feeder.

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One of the primary reasons that squirrels create problems is that people feed them.  If the food supply is reduced or eliminated (the person feeding them moves, goes on vacation, or quits feeding them) the squirrels often respond by chewing up nearby vegetation.  This can result in the bark being stripped off trees, either up in the branches or around the base of the trunk.  If an entire branch dies in your tree, check the branch’s base for signs of gnawing.  This happened years ago to some of the trees in Osteen Park on South Tropical Trail and along North Courtenay Parkway in front of the Merritt Island High School’s parking lot.

Squirrels are basically vegetarians that eat a wide variety of fruits and nuts.  In the fall, they are especially attracted to oaks, hickories and pecans. But, for all their love of fruits and nuts, squirrels may also eat the eggs and young of nesting birds and some types of insects.

If you are interested in attracting squirrels to your yard, here are some native trees (and one palm) that will provide squirrels with both food and cover.

  • Red maple (Acer rubrum) is a large growing shade tree that can grow 60-75 feet tall and 25-35 feet wide.  This deciduous tree prefers moist, acidic soil and is very cold-tolerant, plus squirrels eat the seeds. Interestingly, Acer rubrum has the largest continuous range along the North American Atlantic coast of any native Florida tree. The red maple’s native range runs 1,600 miles from Florida all the way up to Newfoundland.

  • Oak trees (Quercus spp.) are great choices for providing food and shelter for squirrels and other mammals.  The oaks vary in size, so make sure to match the right oak species to your lot size.  One oak species that isn’t planted much is our native Turkey oak, Quercus laevis, which only grows 30-40 feet tall and 10-15 feet wide. This tree can be grown out in the open or as an understory tree and will produce red foliage in the fall.

  • Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) is an evergreen tree that grows 40-60 feet tall with a 20–35-foot spread.  Plant this tree in full sun in moist, well-draining, or sandy soils. It is very drought tolerant, but the growth will be slower when grown in dry sites.  The fruit, which squirrels and other mammals eat, could cause a mess so, be sure to plant this tree in the yard away from the patio, driveway or pool deck.

  • The Pignut hickory (Carya glabra) grows 50-65 feet tall and has a spread of 30-40 feet.  This deciduous tree can grow in full sun to partial shade and is very cold and drought tolerant. The other species of hickory trees also provide nuts for squirrels, ducks and turkeys.

  • Southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) is a large-growing tree that can reach 60-80 feet tall and 30-40 feet wide. The large fragrant white flowers are followed by red seeds that birds and squirrels eat.  The Southern magnolia is also extremely cold hardy.

  • Our Sabal or Cabbage palm (Sabal palmetto) is a great choice for providing food for squirrels and songbirds. Mature palms can eventually reach 60 feet tall, grow in full sun to partial shade, and well-drained to wet soil.

If you are interested in attracting squirrels, consider adding a new tree, which will provide both food and shade, instead of using a feeder. By adding plants that provide cover and nesting habitat, you can eliminate the possibility that squirrels will ever move into your attic or eat the bark of a tree.

Sally Scalera is an urban horticulture agent and master gardener coordinator for the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agriculture Sciences. Email her at sasc@ufl.edu.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Feeding squirrels in your Brevard yard can have unplanned consequences