Can Squirrels Eat Bread?
Squirrels are not too picky when it comes to eating baked items. They love to eat different baked items along with fruits, vegetables, and nuts. If you have a question in mind, “Can Squirrels Eat Bread?” then be clear that Yes, squirrels eat bread, and they love to eat bread, either milky bread or brown bread.
These adorable creatures love it when you share your breakfast bread with them. Sometimes, I take my breakfast in my garden and share my bread with squirrels and birds. I witnessed that squirrels love to eat bread, whether it’s served with peanut butter or fruit jam. Although they do not prefer bread over juicy fruits, vegetables, and nuts, if other food items are not available, they prefer to eat bread rather than fried or packed items.
Summary
Squirrels are opportunistic eaters, and they eat a variety of foods without any discomfort. They eat bread easily and comfortably. This fulfills their craving, but it’s not good for them if consumed on a regular basis. Bread is rich in carbohydrates, so it’s high in calories and low in fiber content. It does not suit the squirrel’s digestive system and results in different diseases.
Avoid feeding them bread or bread crumbs on a regular basis. Yes, you can feed them bread once or twice a week in small proportions. But don’t make it their habit because it will cause many health issues for squirrels.
Is Bread Good For Squirrels?
As you know, squirrels are Omnivorous, and they can eat a variety of foods without any issues. But there is a mixed opinion about whether bread is good For Squirrels or not. Some experts think that squirrels’ digestive system is adaptive to natural foods like nuts, vegetables, and fruits. Eating bread can cause digestive disorders as it contains preservatives and additives.
Feeding a small quantity of bread does not cause any harm to squirrels, but if we feed them bread or processed foods on a daily basis, then it will be an alarming situation for them. Bread also lacks basic nutrients, and it’s not a healthy food source for squirrels as well as for humans.
Is Bread Bad For Squirrels? If Yes, Then How?
The answer to this question is scenario-based; Sometimes it’s bad for squirrels or sometimes not. Squirrels are small mammals, and they love to eat nuts and fruits.
If you feed them bread or baked items on a daily basis, it will make them lazy and fat, and ultimately, it will cause a life-threatening situation for squirrels. The nutritional value of bread is also not too good for squirrels if fed on a daily basis. Bread contains starch, sugars, and fats, which are not recommended for pregnant squirrels or infants. Squirrels that are older and overweight should also not be fed bread rich in sugars and starch.
If you feed bread to squirrels very rarely then it will be ok for them. In spite of low calories and nutrients, bread is a food item, and it does not cause any toxic effects in squirrels. So you can’t consider bread bad for squirrels.
Eating too much Peanut Butter can cause Metabolic Bone Decease (MBD) to Squirrels due to it’s lower Calcium and Phosphorus Level.
Moldy Bread and Possible Hazards
If you throw your moldy bread outside your home or on lawns, then please stop it on an urgent basis. Moldy bread is not good for squirrels, birds, and other animals. It is full of toxins, and it causes serious health hazards in squirrels. As I always say, squirrels are very smart; they pick their food very carefully. A specific smell of moldy bread stops them from eating it, but sometimes, due to miscalculation, they eat it. That’s why it’s important to dispose of the moldy bread properly rather than throwing it outside.
Moldy bread can cause allergy issues in squirrels, which include respiratory disorders, hair loss, rashes, and diarrhea. Sometimes, the condition gets worse, and the toxins in moldy bread cause the death of squirrels.
Can Squirrels Eat Bread Crumbs?
Yes, squirrels can easily eat bread crumbs, just like bread. But again, this is not the actual food for squirrels. Squirrels are opportunistic eaters, and they can eat different foods without any issues. They can eat bread crumbs, but it’s not good for their digestive system health if consumed on a daily basis in large quantities. However, a small quantity once or twice a week is normal for them.
Try to feed them natural and fresh food items. Once you make them habitual of processed foods, then their intake of natural foods will slow down which is not good for their health.
Issues Squirrels May Face After Eating Bread Regularly
Squirrels are very intelligent and smart wild mammals with sharp teeth. They eat bread very quickly; it doesn’t matter if it’s simple bread, brown bread, or bread with peanut butter. They easily fulfill their craving with any bread. But you should limit their access to bread because it’s not good for them in large quantities on a daily basis. There are major issues that squirrels have to face if they eat bread on a daily basis. These are
Digestive Issue
Squirrels’ tiny stomach is especially for natural foods, which include fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. If you feed them processed foods like bread and bread crumbs, then it will affect their digestive activities. Bread is low in fiber, and regular consumption of bread will result in constipation and diarrhea.
Nutritional Deficiency
Squirrels’ food is full of nutrients and minerals as they consume fruits, nuts, and seeds, which are rich in nutrients. If you feed them bread on a daily basis, it will cause nutritional deficiencies in squirrels because bread lacks many nutrients and minerals.
A continuous inclusion of bread in a squirrel’s diet leads to stomach upset, and some vital nutrients leach out from the body in case of diarrhea. So try to avoid feeding bread to squirrels on a regular basis.
Yeast & Mold Infection
When you place bread in bird feeders or throw it outside for squirrels, the bread gets moldy after some time. There are chances that squirrels will eat this moldy or yeast-grown bread. This will cause serious gastroenteritis problems for squirrels, or in some severe cases, it may lead to death.
Obesity
Bread is fully loaded with carbohydrates; it’s a high-caloric food and low in nutritional content. Regular consumption of bread will result in fats deposited, disturbed lipid profile, and the final result is obesity. And you know obesity is the root of all the diseases in humans and animals. Squirrels are tiny creatures; they can’t handle this situation for a long time.
Squirrels drink water from natural sources like rivers, ponds, streams, rain, and dew drops.
Conclusion
Do squirrels eat bread? It is not a critical question because squirrels can eat a variety of foods; they are in the mammal group. The critical question is, Is bread good for squirrels? And I have told you in a detailed way that bread is good for squirrels to some extent and excess of everything is bad.
Try to feed them natural foods that they like and that their stomach is meant for.
