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Squirrels living in parks and campuses [26] in cities have learned that humans are typically a ready source of food, either deliberately or from careless disposal of surplus. Some people do " squirrel fishing " as a way of simultaneously playing with and feeding squirrels.
This tendency in combination with their proximity to students has led squirrels to associate humans with food, [20] with some being documented boldly stealing food. [28] Student newspapers have documented squirrels eating trash, [29] with research on the matter finding that gray squirrels indeed consume anthropogenic food waste found on college ...
Squirrels, being primarily herbivores, eat a wide variety of plants, as well as nuts, seeds, conifer cones, fruits, fungi, and green vegetation. Some squirrels, however, also consume meat, especially when faced with hunger. [21] [32] Squirrels have been known to eat small birds, young snakes, and smaller rodents, as well as bird eggs and insects.
One of the more fruitful fields of work is food waste—when deposited in landfills, food waste produces the greenhouse gas methane and other toxic compounds that can be dangerous to humans and local ecosystems. [11] Landfill gas utilization and municipal composting can capture and use the organic nutrients. [11]
Some wild animal species may get used to human presence, causing property damage or risking the transfer of diseases to humans or pets. Many wildlife species coexist with humans very successfully, such as commensal rodents which have become more or less dependent on humans. Deer-damaged tomato plant has been stripped of developing fruit
Though it is rare, squirrels can carry rabies and a squirrel can pass along the virus to humans. According to Critter Control , a wildlife removal service, a saliva of a rabid squirrel contains a ...
Gray squirrels are active during the day, while flying squirrels are active at night, says Mengak. If you discover a squirrel nesting in your home or shed, look for its entryway into the structure.
However, if they're not able to stock up enough food in the fall, or if something happens to their stores, that can put them in a pretty dire place, as squirrels can't survive long without food.