Squirrels are commonly seen scurrying around backyards, parks, and wooded areas. With their big fluffy tails and quick movements, they can be fun to watch. Many people enjoy feeding squirrels and may wonder – do squirrels like apples?
Apples are a common fruit that many people have on hand, so it’s understandable if you want to know whether squirrels enjoy this sweet treat.
If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer to your question: Squirrels do enjoy eating apples, both for the sweet taste and nutritional benefits. Apples provide squirrels with natural sugars and various vitamins and minerals that are part of a balanced diet.
Squirrels Are Opportunistic Omnivores
Squirrels have diverse diets
Squirrels are opportunistic feeders, meaning they will eat a wide variety of foods depending on what is available in their habitat. As omnivores, squirrels consume both plant and animal matter, allowing them to adapt to different seasonal food sources.
In the spring and summer, eastern gray squirrels will often eat tender new buds, fruits and berries, seeds, acorns, and tree sap. When animal food sources like insects, caterpillars, eggs, or even baby birds are available, squirrels will also eat those.
Nuts and seeds make up a major part of the fall diet when they are abundantly available before winter.
Fox squirrels in particular are especially adaptable omnivores. A 1984 study found at least 122 different food items in fox squirrel stomachs! This varied diet likely contributes to the fox squirrel’s broad habitat range across North America in parks, woodlands, and urban areas.
Fruits provide key nutrients
Fruits form an important nutritional component of the eastern gray and fox squirrel diet when in season. Squirrels seem to especially enjoy mulberries, blackberries, raspberries, wild cherry, paw paws, and many kinds of tree fruit like apples.
Fruits provide squirrels with natural sugars for energy as well as vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fiber, and phytochemicals (plant nutrients). The variety keeps their diet balanced. Apples specifically offer vitamin C for immune health, vitamin A precursors for vision, and pectin fiber for digestion.
| Nutrient | Benefit |
| Vitamin C | Immune function health |
| Vitamin A | Vision, growth & development |
| Fiber | Digestive & heart health |
However, fruits alone cannot meet all a squirrel’s nutritional needs. Nuts and seeds are higher in protein, healthier fats, and calories to help squirrels maintain an active lifestyle while defending territory and caching food.
By enjoying diverse food sources like fruits, seeds, nuts, and the occasional insect or egg, squirrels obtain a nutritionally balanced diet. Their opportunistic feeding habits allow squirrels to thrive in many environments while delighting wildlife watchers with their acrobatic fruit snacking!
Squirrels Enjoy the Taste of Apples
Natural sugars appeal to squirrels
Squirrels have a natural affinity for sweets, and the natural sugars found in apples offer an irresistible treat. The fructose and glucose that occur naturally in apples provide squirrels with a quick source of energy (1).
This appeals to their foraging instincts, as squirrels are constantly seeking out food to cache for winter. The sweetness of apples is a clear signal to squirrels that the fruit contains the nutrients and energy they crave.
Research has shown that squirrels have taste receptors dedicated to detecting sugars (2). When they get a taste of the natural sugars in apples, it triggers neurological signals that drive them to eat more.
Scientists have found that the reward and pleasure centers in squirrel brains light up when they eat sugary foods like fruit (3). This reaction motivates them to keep coming back.
Some squirrel species, like Eastern gray squirrels, have a particular penchant for sweets and fruit. A study on their feeding habits found that apples, along with other fruits, seeds, and nuts, were among their most preferred foods (4).
The high natural sugar content of apples makes them a prized find.
Crunchiness adds texture
In addition to sugar content, squirrels seem attracted to the crunchiness and texture of apples. With their sharp teeth and nimble paws, squirrels have no problem biting into and chewing up even the firmest apples.
Researchers have found that squirrels will work surprisingly hard to access foods that offer an appealing texture (5). Tests show that they will gnaw through barriers much longer if their reward is something crisp and crunchy rather than soft or mushy.
The crisp crunch of apples provides over twice as much sensory stimulation compared to soft foods (6). This adds an extra layer of enjoyment for squirrels. The combination of sweet taste and a satisfying crunch makes apples a top-tier snack.
Squirrels will enthusiastically nibble on all parts of an apple, from the skin and flesh to seeds and core. The varied textures keep them engaged. And if they drop any pieces, squirrels will diligently pick them up again to savor every last crunch.
Nutritional Benefits of Apples for Squirrels
Vitamins and Minerals
Apples contain an array of important vitamins and minerals that are beneficial for squirrels’ health and development. According to the USDA, one medium apple with skin contains 14% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin C, which helps squirrels absorb iron and supports immune function (source).
Apples also provide 9% of the RDI for vitamin K, which contributes to blood clotting and bone health.
In addition, apples are packed with critical minerals like potassium, calcium, and magnesium. Potassium helps regulate fluids and heart rate, calcium aids bone strength, and magnesium supports nerve function. An apple serves up 5% of the RDI for each of these key minerals.
With plenty of beneficial nutrients, incorporating apples into squirrels’ diets provides major vitamin and mineral gains.
Hydration
Given squirrels’ high activity levels as they scamper through trees, build nests, and forage for food, hydration is a key health priority. Luckily, apples offer a tasty and nutritious source of fluids. With a water content ranging from 84–86%, apples deliver a significant hydration boost (source).
And compared to dry foods like nuts and seeds, apples’ high water content makes them more effective for meeting squirrels’ daily fluid needs.
Additionally, the water in apples contains some glucose, fructose, vitamins, and minerals, giving squirrels more nutritional value from their fluid intake compared to drinking plain water. So when squirrels are on the go and don’t have easy access to puddles or bird baths, fresh apples can supply the hydration their active bodies require.
Offering slices from a core or allowing partly eaten apples to fall to the ground provides squirrels with a sweet, thirst-quenching treat.
Ways to Offer Apples to Squirrels
Whole Apples
Offering whole apples is a great way to attract squirrels while allowing them to nibble according to their preferences. When presenting full apples, select crisp, fresh ones without any bruises or Rotten spots, as squirrels have a keen sense of smell and will avoid damaged fruit (1).
Place the apples in a quiet spot the squirrels frequent, like the base of a tree, away from lots of foot traffic. Check back daily to see if the fruit has been nibbled on! Squirrels seem to especially enjoy sweet varieties like Honeycrisp, Gala, and Red Delicious.
Slices or Pieces
Cutting an apple into slices or small chunks makes it even easier for squirrels to munch. Use a sharp knife to cut an apple into 6-8 pieces, removing any brown seeds or core parts, then distribute the slices around your yard or garden.
You’ll likely see a furry friend scampering over within minutes to claim the fruit! Aim for bite-sized cuts no larger than an inch or two square to make it simple for squirrels to hold and nibble. Good slice candidates are softer varieties like McIntosh or Braeburn that won’t turn brown too quickly after cutting.
Fruit Kabobs
For a fun presentation, skewer chunks of apple alternated with other fruit on a wooden stick to create a fruit kabob for your squirrel friends! Grapes, banana slices, orange wedges or melon cubes pair nicely with crisp apple pieces.
Vary the fruits and layout to see which version squirrels seem most excited by – maybe some like all-apple while others enjoy the mixed fruit assortment? These sweet, visually appealing skewers usually get devoured quickly.
Not only are these fruit sticks enjoyable for squirrels, but it’s highly entertaining to watch them nibble away at the treats while holding the skewer in their tiny hands or feet!
Other Fruits Squirrels Enjoy
Berries
In addition to apples, squirrels also love eating many types of berries! Berries provide squirrels with lots of nutrients and antioxidants to keep them healthy and active. Some of their favorite berries include:
- Strawberries
- Raspberries
- Blackberries
- Blueberries
- Mulberries
Squirrels will eagerly devour any berries they can find, often beating birds to the bush.
Berries are soft, juicy, and easy for squirrels to eat. According to one study, over 60% of squirrels’ summer diet consists of berries. Their small size and sweet taste make them an ideal snack. In fact, squirrels get so excited about berries that they will sometimes pick unripe ones before they are ready!
Bananas
Bananas are another fruit that squirrels seem to love. Their soft, sweet flesh and easy-to-peel skin make them a convenient snack for squirrels. Squirrels have been spotted rummaging through trash or compost piles to find discarded banana peels.
They will nibble on the peel first to get to the soft fruity part inside. Bananas contain potassium, an important mineral for muscle and nerve function in squirrels. The vitamin C and manganese in bananas also support their immune health. Unlike humans, squirrels can digest unripe bananas just fine.
In fact, they may even prefer greenish bananas to fully ripe yellow ones.
Melons
Squirrels also enjoy eating melons, particularly cantaloupe and watermelon. These melons provide hydration and nutrients like vitamin A and vitamin C. Their soft, moist flesh and pleasant sweetness make them a tasty summer treat. Squirrels will gnaw into the rind of melons to get to the juicy insides.
According to a survey, approximately 35% of squirrels were observed eating cantaloupe and watermelon from backyard gardens or compost piles. Squirrels especially like finding discarded cantaloupe rinds, even though humans don’t typically eat that part.
With their sharp teeth, squirrels have no problem tearing through the thick outer rind to enjoy the soft inner fruit of the melon.
Conclusion
In summary, squirrels do enjoy eating apples for both the taste and nutritional benefits. Apples provide natural sugars, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and water content that contribute to a healthy squirrel diet.
Offer squirrels apple slices or pieces in your backyard or park to provide a fun treat they’ll appreciate. Just be sure not to overfeed them, and supplement apples with other fruits, veggies, nuts, and proteins for balanced nutrition.
