The other day, we were sitting outside watching the squirrels play on their feeder. A friend threw a piece of bread on the ground and one of them came up and grabbed it. This got me wondering, “can squirrels eat bread” and is it good for them?
Can Squirrels Eat Bread?
Yes, squirrels can eat bread. That being said, you should avoid feeding them bread, as some bread contain more sugar than candy and is not a good diet for them. They are NOT picky eaters, however, cellulose is found in most bread and squirrels have a hard time digesting this dietary fiber.
Squirrels are members of the family Sciuridae, which includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels, marmots and etc. Some of the most common squirrels such as Fox squirrels, Eastern Gray Squirrel, and Red squirrels will eat pretty much anything.
If you’ve just started feeding squirrels in your backyard, it’s important to know what human foods are good and which ones can harm your bushy-tailed friends. Bread has very little nutritional value for wildlife and it contains little to no protein as well as too much salt. A squirrels kidneys can not filter out huge amounts of salt, that’s why it’s vital to NOT feed them a lot of human food.
Breads That Are High In Sugar
Some bread is not only bad for squirrels, but can be bad for humans as well. These are some of the worst breads to feed squirrels as they are extremely high in sugar content.
- Wonder Bread’s Classic Loaf
- Udi’s Gluten-Free Cinnamon Raison Bread
- Pepperidge Farm’s Farmhouse Oatmeal Bread
- Martin’s Potato Bread
- Vermont Bread Company’s Organic Soft White Bread
You especially want to avoid feeding squirrels white bread, as they are known to be extremely high sugar content. Always read the ingredients to ensure it doesn’t list sweeteners such as sugar, molasses, dextrose, or high-fructose corn syrup as the first ingredients.
Do Squirrels Like Bread?
Yes, they do. In fact, it isn’t hard to find pictures, or videos of squirrels stealing or eating bread. These critters are scavengers and will eat bread they find in the trash, on the ground, or will even steal it from you.
Here’s a video of a squirrel eating a whole piece of white bread.
Why Squirrels Cannot Digest Cellulose In Bread
While squirrels are herbivores, their little bodies cannot survive 100% on plants alone. Cellulose is a polysaccharide, comprising up to 90% of a plant. Many animals with a plant diet, require symbiotic organisms (bacteria) to help them break down and digest cellulose.
This is why squirrels diets must consist of energy-rich nuts and seeds. This doesn’t mean that they have a weak digestive system. In fact, squirrels can eat deadly Amanita mushrooms without getting ill or poisoned.
If you and I were to eat those mushrooms, we would not be able to survive.
Before Feeding Bread to Squirrels
We’re going to take a look at all the different types of bread that people tend to feed their backyard friends. Before putting out your bread products for squirrels, it’s important to make sure that you know whether or not it will hurt them or your other backyard wildlife.
If you do feed them bread, make sure that you don’t feed them too much. Their small digestive system has a difficult time digesting cellulose.
We’ve taken the time to find out whether or not the following types of bread products will hurt your furry critters.
- Wheat Bread
- Garlic Bread
- Cinnamon Bread
- Raisin Bread (raisins are not good for squirrels)
- Whole Grain Bread
- Rye Bread
- Bread Crumbs
- Sourdough
- Banana Bread
While there isn’t a lot of information that says all types of bread is harmful to squirrels. However, we refuse to feed our backyard squirrels any type of bread.
We figure if white bread is bad for them, then so is all the other types, even homemade bread.
Why Moldy Bread Is Not Good for Squirrels
Moldy bread can cause harm to squirrels and birds. You should be concerned with salmonella, which can poison your backyard critters. If you have dogs, it may also make them sick.
Do Grey Squirrels Eat Bread?
We have grey squirrels in our backyard and I can tell you that these little guys eat anything. Grey squirrels a