How to Hand Feed a Squirrel

Luring a Squirrel with Food

Set up outdoor mesh feeders to get squirrels to come to your yard. If you don't already have squirrels, you can attract them to your yard quickly if they can easily find food. Set up the feeder near a tree or on a garden hook, and make sure it's easily accessible for you and the animals. Look for squirrel-specific feeders or simple mesh feeders so that the squirrels can easily locate and retrieve the food. However, this can often mean that large birds and other animals may access the squirrel food. Try to keep these animals away as much as possible to encourage the squirrel visitors to stop by! It's best to try to hand feed the squirrels in your own yard, since it will take time for them to trust you. If you often visit a park or other area where squirrels eat, they might be willing to eat from your hand there.

Start with natural squirrel food, like tree nuts, seeds, and flower buds. Make a mixture of tree nuts with shells, such as walnuts, hazelnuts, and acorns to promote gnawing. Add in some bird seed for extra nutrients, and place the mixture in a feeder outside. Keep it separate from other feeders so that the squirrels can easily access it from trees. If you’re worried about the squirrels getting into your other feeders, set up squirrel baffles, like wind chimes or reflective surfaces, to repel them.

Entice squirrels with sweeter treats, such as fruits and vegetables. Place a few handfuls of grapes, apples, broccoli, or zucchini outside for the squirrels to eat. These will provide more nutrition and lure the squirrels back to your yard for a treat that they can’t find elsewhere! Keep track of what the squirrels seem to eat the most of. If they seem to like the grapes more than the apples, increase the amount of grapes you feed them.Warning: Avoid feeding the squirrels with bread, raw peanuts, or corn, since these foods are not nutritious for the animals and can sometimes make the squirrels sick.

Put out food every day to associate your scent with feeding time. The squirrels will learn to trust you because you’re a reliable source of food. Create a safe outdoor space, such as a corner of a porch or a garden. Try to feed them at the same time every day so they don’t go elsewhere to look for treats. You might even notice that the squirrels will begin to come up to your windows to peer inside if there’s no food in the feeder!

Stand near the feeder when the squirrel is eating and make clicking noises. When you see squirrels, go outside and stand as close as you can to the feeder without scaring them off. Be very still and quiet at first. Then, begin making clicking noises with your mouth to emulate the sounds that squirrels make to communicate. This will help them get used to your presence while they eat and will teach them to trust you. If you’re not sure what sounds to make, look up videos of squirrel noises to get a better idea. Try to be as still as possible to avoid scaring off the squirrels. If this is your first time approaching them, sit or stand nearby, and try to ignore them as much as possible while they eat.

Approaching the Squirrel

Approach a squirrel that you see eating your treats regularly. As you’re feeding the squirrels, you’ll notice that you have some “repeat customers.” Wait until you see a squirrel that comes by often, and then go outside near the feeder to observe it and decide if you want to try to feed it. If the squirrel doesn’t come to your feeder regularly, they probably aren’t used to your scent and will be scared off as soon as you approach.

Bend down and walk toward the squirrel slowly until it looks like it may run. If the squirrel is at ground level, try to get as low as possible and approach from an angle. Walk slowly, and when the squirrel stops what they’re doing, stop walking until it begins moving again. Eventually, the squirrel will look at you, and you can stop where you are. If the squirrel runs away, simply move away from the feeder and wait a day before approaching again.

Crouch onto your knees and hold out a handful of the squirrel’s food. Once the squirrel looks at you, kneel down and hold out a mix of nuts, seeds, and a few pieces of fruit or vegetables if you’ve been feeding the squirrels any treats. Slowly extend your hand as much as possible so the squirrel can see and smell the food. At this point, the squirrel will already be eating, but it might be enticed by tastier treats that it doesn’t have in its usual food, like fruits and vegetables.

Toss some of the food gently between you and the squirrel to entice them. Gently throw about ¼ of the food halfway between you and the squirrel, and wait for it to walk toward you to eat it. If it doesn’t, throw a little bit more to try to lure it closer to you so it knows you’re trying to feed it. Be patient! It may take some time for the squirrel to trust getting closer to you. Don’t throw the food at the squirrel, but rather toss or roll it softly to avoid scaring it.

Place the food at shorter distances so the squirrel approaches your hand. As the squirrel approaches and eats the food, toss a bit more in the space between you and the squirrel. When it’s within arm’s length, slowly extend your hand and offer the food to it. Keep your hand flat and let it take its time while it eats. It may be helpful to save some of the sweeter and strong-smelling treats, like apples and grapes, until the squirrel is closer to you.Warning: If the squirrel is hesitant to approach you, avoid reaching out to touch it, which can cause it to bite or scratch you to protect itself. Keep dropping food on the ground in front of you until the squirrel comes to eat from your outstretched hand.

Be patient and try new tricks as the squirrel begins to trust you. It can take a few weeks or even month to get the squirrel to trust you completely. Don’t get discouraged! Once the squirrel does approach you, it’ll be more likely to do it again. Try luring it into your lap or onto your arm to eat as you pet it. Keep in mind that squirrels are wild animals and don’t make great pets, but you can befriend the ones that live in your yard.