Several types of animals can be found in our gardens, and each of them contribute to their environment in a different way. Besides mice and hedgehogs, European gardens have a unique, funny, but also commonly misunderstood neighbour, the squirrel. But, you only need the right tools and some creative ideas for a squirrel-friendly garden.

We can find many different species of squirrels all around the world, however we are likely to meet Eurasian red squirrels or Eastern grey squirrels in Europe. Among the several traits of these rodents, their acrobatic skills and body are the most unique. We all know how funny and delightful it is to see squirrels making really big jumps from one tree to another, or running along branches. They can surmount almost any acrobatic challenge and their fluffy long tails help them to balance.

Nature’s gardeners

They actually play an important role in the ecosystem, too. In fact, they are nature’s gardeners! They change the composition of a forest by a funny, yet significant habit, called ‘caching’. This means, that sometimes they don’t eat seeds right away, but bury them in the soil for the future. What is funny about this behavior though, that they (just like we, humans) forget where they put things. As a matter of fact, squirrels help to disperse plant seeds for future trees.

Squirrel cuisine

Unfortunately, squirrels often regarded as thieves, who steel bird food, but there are some creative ways to encourage them to do good and contribute to garden life. Regarding their nutrition, they eat mostly the seeds of trees, nuts (especially hazelnuts, but also beech and chestnuts), young shoots and berries.

Our squirrel food contains a bunch of different nutritious seeds which will be an appropriate supplement to the squirrels’ own food. Not to mention, that you can observe these intelligent animals more easily when they are eating. You can observe them best in the early morning hours and late afternoons, as they are the most active then. These supplemental food mixes are particularly important during the cold autumn and winter days, since it is common for squirrels to pack on pounds in order to stay warm.

Tip: Check the squirrel feeder frequently, because squirrels can consume their body weight in seeds (approximately four pounds) over the course of a week!

Squirrel restaurants

In order to make sure they don’t interrupt garden birds, place a squirrel feeder separately so that they can sit and munch on a branch peacefully, while birds have their own meals! We have different types of squirrel feeders, made of FSC wood, making them a sustainable choice! A double feeder gives the opportunity to place out two different seeds at a time and test which they like best!

Squirrel hotel

In recent years it has become very difficult for squirrels to find a suitable nesting and breeding place, due to the increasing level of urbanization and deforestation. But as we all know, nesting houses are great solutions to create an atmospheric habitat for squirrels. You can lend a helping hand to these beautiful rodents by placing out nesting houses. They not only serve as a place to sleep or hide, they are also great storage solutions for seeds and other food. In addition, you help the squirrel by offering them a place to hibernate for the winter.

Here are some tips to ensure we serve squirrels the best way when placing out nesting boxes:

1. Hang the house at a height of 3 to 4 meters as it provides safety and protection. Also make sure that the house is properly attached.
2. Place out at least two nesting houses, because squirrels often build more than one nest. In case of danger they can visit another nest.
3. Hang houses in sight of each other. The close proximity among houses creates a familiar atmosphere for squirrels.

In addition to the sustainable FSC material, our nesting box have several passageways which enable squirrels to jump in and out quickly. It is important, especially in case of danger.

Squirrels will often cheer you up with their acrobatic moves and funny appearance. If we pay a little more attention to support the life in our garden, it will definitely pay off. For this end, check out here all the squirrel-related products we have.