Can Squirrels Eat Apples?

Can squirrels eat apples?

Apples are fruits that are eaten by humans on the go, when relaxing at home or as appetizers before a proper meal is served. These fruits are very juicy and delicious and are high in fiber, vitamins and various antioxidants. All parts of the fruit, including the skin, except for the seeds, are suitable and comfortable for human and animal consumption. The core (from stem to bottom) is not eaten but discarded as it contains seeds.

There are different ways of consuming apples; juice, baked in pies, raw in fruit salads, cooked in sauces like apple butter. They can also be used as an ingredient in savory foods such as stuffing and sausage.

There are over a thousand varieties of apples cultivated in the United states and over a hundred are cultivated for commercial purpose

Apples are very nice for human consumption but in this discussion we would be looking at whether or not, these apples are consumable by squirrels. If yes, that will lead to further discussions on the health benefits of apples to squirrels. This boils down to the question, can squirrels eat apples?

Can Squirrels eat apples?

You shouldn’t find this question too difficult to answer. This is because it’s a known fact that most squirrels are herbivorous in nature and are great lovers of fruits. On that note, the answer to the question is yes squirrels will always cheerfully and happily eat apples. In fact, they really enjoy apples that they eat the whole fruit along with the skin and even the core that contains seeds. 

Are apples safe for squirrels?

Squirrels are not picky or selective eaters. They consume practically almost any food fed to them. It is however recommended that a squirrel’s diet should contain most of its favorite food which are nuts such as peanuts, acorns, walnuts, almonds, and seeds such as pumpkin seeds, poppy seeds and sunflower seeds. Apples on the other hand are nutritious and delicious and are quite safe for squirrels at a minimal level. But just as the core is not comfortable for human consumption, it is applicable to the squirrels as well. This is because the apple seeds contain toxins such as cyanide that can be harmful or dangerous to squirrels. Therefore in the course of feeding squirrels with apples, one should ensure he slices the apples and takes out the seeds to avoid toxicity in the squirrels as well as enhance their consumption.

How often should one feed squirrels apples?

For a proper diet, you should ensure not to feed your squirrels more than two or three slices of apple per day. One other thing is maintaining a regular pattern of feeding your squirrels apples and other fruits as a sudden shift in their feeding patterns may be dangerous.

It is also advisable to peel the apples before feeding them to the squirrels. This helps to remove chemicals such as pesticides and herbicides that may have been used to preserve the apples for commercial purpose. The apples should be thoroughly washed with fresh water before being peeled to eliminate these toxins.

What are the nutritional and health benefits of feeding your squirrels apples?

It’s a known fact that apples are very nutritious and of great beneficial value to humans. However this is not applicable to squirrels because apples contain high levels of sugar and starch in them which is very hazardous to the health of the squirrels.

Regardless of the health hazard, squirrels still enjoy the delicious taste of apples and would always eat any varieties of apples given to them.

Conclusion

Apples are sweet and delicious fruits that are consumable by humans and animals. There are many varieties of apples that are cultivated round the world. These apples are of nutritional benefit to humans as they contain good amounts of vitamins, fiber and various antioxidants which help to boost and prevent the immune system against diseases. However, apples do not have any nutritional value to squirrels as they contain high levels of sugar and starch that are harmful to the squirrel’s immune system and can lead to diseases such as kidney failure.

Apple seeds contain cyanide which is toxic and harmful to the system of the squirrels as a result one should ensure not to feed the seeds to squirrels. Washing and peeling the skin of the apples also help to remove chemicals such as pesticides and herbicides that may have be used to preserve the apples for commercial purpose.