Do Squirrels Eat Strawberries? How To Protect Garden?
Have you ever seen a cute little squirrel running around in your garden or on the branches of trees? Squirrels are furry animals that belong to the same family as small and medium-sized rodents. There are many different types of squirrels around the world, like red squirrels, fox squirrels, flying squirrels, and tree squirrels. They all love to run and play while searching for tasty food like fruits, nuts, berries, veggies, tree buds, and seeds. But do squirrels eat strawberries? The answer is yes! Squirrels love to eat all kinds of fruits, including strawberries. They enjoy eating fruits that are ripe or overripe and even soft and juicy berries.[acf field=”Schema”]
Do Squirrels Like To Eat Strawberries?
Surprisingly, strawberries are among the favorite berries that most squirrels prefer. In case you happen to grow strawberries in your backyard, squirrels are likely to make frequent visits to snatch them out. The red and juicy strawberries awaken the taste buds of squirrels, attracting them to your garden.
Strawberries are beneficial to them in a sense; they are rich sources of vitamin C, fiber, and antioxidants. They are fat-free plus sodium-free and are included in low-calorie foods.
Benefits of Strawberries To Squirrels:
As they roam around the whole day, they require high energy levels to keep up with their running routine. Strawberries provide them natural sugar that helps them to stay energetic. Strawberries are also rich in fiber, and fibers are an essential part of a squirrel’s diet. They prevent constipation among squirrels making it easier for food to travel through their intestines.
Are The Squirrels Snacking Upon Your Homegrown Berries?
Watching squirrels roaming around seems pleasant until they start to take a share of your homegrown berries. Squirrels can capture over your prized strawberries as they love that free delight. If you don’t prevent squirrels from entering your garden, you’ll end up feeding entire produce to them.
Here we’ve listed out some tried and tested measures to protect your berries from squirrels.
#1. Fencing the plants
Luckily, constructing structures of wires and woods around your plants would prove to be a great way to prevent berries from squirrels. Building cages around your plants will work best. While installing fencing, you must keep in mind two things. One, it shouldn’t let squirrels inside; two, it should let the sunlight and rain inside. Furthermore, it has to be movable for harvesting strawberries. Remember to bury the fencing a few feet underground, too, as they can enter by digging up the ground.
#2. Remove bird feeders
In case you’ve installed any bird feeder, it will surely welcome squirrels into the yard. Take them off and place them somewhere else away from the plants. This will reduce squirrels’ interaction with the surrounding as well as inside the garden.
#3. Plant what they dislike
Another effective way is to irritate them back by planting what they hate. You can plant flower bushes and plants that most squirrels hate. They dislike the smell of certain flowers such as marigolds and daffodils and also of plants such as peppers and garlic. This will prevent them from entering the garden and destroying your precious berries.
Now that you know what the squirrels’ favorite delights are and what they hate the most, you can treat any squirrel well. Offer them some nuts, fruits, veggies, and berries, and they’ll be friends with you. If you have any pet squirrels at home, treat them right with a proper diet that would be nutritious for them.
Related Post:
