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Do squirrels kill mice, rats, or birds?



The natural diet of a squirrel is well defined, and there are things such as grains and fruits that we all know that they prefer to eat. Their love for nuts is just incredible, and they have been known to hide them when they are plentiful so as to have reserves for the future.

However, many people may really want to know whether squirrels can eat mice, rats or birds. The answer is yes. It is possible to catch a squirrel eating smaller animals, but this doesn’t happen unless the squirrel is really hungry. It is not common for squirrels to kill these smaller animals for food. They don’t hunt them often, so it may be unlikely that they kill them. They may only feed on the carcass of other smaller animals that are already dead when they are hungry and have no other food source. There have also been cases where the mother squirrel eats her young ones, especially when there is a great scarcity of food.

Squirrels aren’t entirely vegetarians, and you may find them raiding bird nests to get to the eggs or even tiny birds. They do eat dead mice and rats, but it is highly unlikely that they can actually catch them when alive. They also feed on insects.

The diet of a squirrel is rather vast and it rarely centers on meat except in very rare cases when there is a food shortage. Squirrels love different fruit varieties, and if you live in an area that is near vines, bushes or fruit trees, you are more likely to spot squirrels eating these than a form of meat.

They also love vegetables such as tomatoes, radishes, squash, beans, corn, peas, eggplant, broccoli, and asparagus and so on. They also love cereals and nuts.

Go back to the How to Get Rid of Squirrels page or email us if you have any other questions about Do squirrels kill mice, rats, or birds?