Posted by Janet Harriett on Jun.09, 2010

Photo Credit: Joe Martin/US Fish and Wildlife Service

Last week, I looked at plants to attract birds without the traditional bird feeders with seeds or nectar. From planting seed-bearing and nectar-rich plants, it’s just a small step to attracting some interesting furred wildlife to observe along with the feathered friends.

Squirrels

Anyone who has put out a seed-filled bird feeder is probably acquainted with squirrels, and that there’s not really any such thing as a “squirrel-proof bird feeder.” A squirrel eats a lot of the same things that larger birds eat, and the plants for attracting birds will often naturally draw in squirrels, too. Seeds, nuts and fruits make up the bulk of squirrels’ diet, with tree buds and stored food in the winter. One of the surest ways to attract a resident squirrel is to plant a nut-producing tree; however, those take time to mature to nut-producing size. In addition to hazelnut and walnuts that can produce a tasty crop of homegrown nuts for you and the squirrels, oak trees and the acorns they produce are an excellent squirrel attractant, and a lovely shade tree.

For squirrels, nuts have the advantage of being easily stored for winter consumption. However, squirrels also like fruits. My own resident squirrel is often seen in an ornamental apple tree near my living room window, executing some interesting acrobatic maneuvers. A couple of mature trees produce more than enough food for a squirrel, so they don’t need supplemental feeding. Since squirrels hoard food for times of shortage, feeding over the winter isn’t necessary. However, if you do choose to put nuts out for the squirrels, choose unsalted nuts and never, ever, try to hand-feed a squirrel. First off, no matter how comfortable a squirrel is around humans, it is not tame. More importantly, though, because of the way squirrels’ eyes are positioned, their vision directly in front of the sharp little teeth isn’t that great; a finger looks and feels about the same to the squirrel as a peanut, and animal bites rarely end well for the animal.

Squirrels are naturally solitary and when they’ve got a plentiful enough food source, will keep to a density of about one squirrel per acre. Unless you’re in the city, where squirrels, like humans, live closer together, you’re likely to only regularly see the one or two squirrels whose territory you live in. Squirrels can be a bit of a pest in larger numbers. Check back at the end of June for ways to discourage too many squirrels (which, when it comes to inside the house, is one squirrel).

Chipmunks

Chipmunks are smaller than squirrels, but eat most of the same fruits, nuts and seeds. A nut tree in the yard will do double duty providing forage for both chipmunks and squirrels. Chipmunks also eat plant leaves and assorted roots and tubers, a fact I discovered the hard way watching a squirrel systematically devour an entire bed of crocus corms one summer. I even caught the little rodent sitting on my front porch, looking into my house while gnawing on a tulip bulb, which it left on the steps, half-eaten. Later this month, I’ll discuss how to have both chipmunks and spring-flowering bulbs.

Rabbits

The bane of vegetable gardeners can also be a fun animal to watch. Rabbits tend to multiply like - well - rabbits, so finding a balance between attracting a few for the kids to watch and being overrun by bunnies is key. Rabbit populations tend to grow as large as the food supply will support, so the more forage provided, the more bunnies you’ll get. Rabbits tend not to stick strictly to the forage you want them to eat, and will go for flowers, too.

Wild rabbits eat mostly leafy plants. As gardeners know well, this includes just about anything grown in a vegetable garden. However, it also includes a lot of weeds. Red clover and plantain (the leafy grass-like plant, not the little banana-like fruit) are prime forage. Providing a food source for bunnies is as easy as not weed-whacking some out-of-the-way edges. A short, well-manicured lawn doesn’t give much for the rabbits to eat, so they’ll either move on to the neighbors or the flower beds. If you leave longer bits for the rabbits, make sure they’re well isolated from the ornamental or edible beds, or that you have good fencing to keep rabbits out.

Next week: Food only goes so far with creating a wildlife habitat in your yard.  You’ll also need a wildlife-friendly water source or two.

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Posted under Living, Nature and Environment.