Squirrels in the garden are not just cute to look at. You can do something good for the animals, especially in cities. The natural habitat of squirrels is being increasingly displaced by more and more residential areas. The rodents then no longer find enough food. What can you do about it?

How to attract squirrels to the garden?

In addition to suitable food plants such as hazelnut trees, beech trees, walnut trees and chestnuts, you can also supplement the animals' food supply with a feeding house. It is not always easy for rodents to find food in the wild. You can help them with just a few things.

Tips for attracting squirrels

You can attract squirrels to your garden with the following tips.

• Provide a regular supply of food.
• Put up feeders.
• Offer the animals something to drink.
• Provide places to climb and hide.
• Offer the animals a cage.
• Make sure your garden is quiet.

Are squirrels useful?

First of all, a squirrel is not a pest. The prejudice still persists that Squirrels eat young birds and are therefore harmful to native birds. This is completely wrong, because Squirrels eat do not eat young birds. In rare cases and in great distress, they eat bird eggs and the carrion of young birds.

Squirrels certainly eat the bark of trees or the buds of young plants. In the worst case, the trees or plants die. These are isolated cases, so it cannot be said that squirrels are harmful in the garden.

Squirrels digging in the garden

Especially in the fall, you may see a squirrel digging in a garden bed. This is no big deal. The rodent is just burying its food supply for the winter.

If you have observed the burying, be sure to leave the food where it was buried. The squirrel will still be able to find this food supply months later.

It is much more common for a squirrel to starve to death because humans have removed the supplies.

If you want to do something good for the squirrel, especially in winter, then also put out a few nuts. These should primarily be walnuts or hazelnuts. Under no circumstances should you feed the rodent almonds or peanuts.

When does the squirrel come into the garden?

You can often see squirrels in the garden, especially in winter. They are looking for food and are happy to receive food from you. You can therefore attract squirrels to your garden with regular food and a suitable place to sleep.