How to safely feed wild squirrels from your hand
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- čas přidán 30. 07. 2022
- How to safely feed wild squirrels from your hand
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I would never get anything done if I had these guys at my window😂
lol
This channel is pure heaven.
When I feed my squirrels, I put some nuts on the patio and I throw some out into the backyard grass for them to find.
They've never tried to bite or scratch me. They have better manners than some people I know! 😀
The Blue Jays are gorgeous and they seem to boss the squirrels around.
The Blue-Jays don't boss the squirrels around, they get along very well. 🐿️🐦
@@Squirrels_at_the_windowthe blue jays come early for the nuts i put out, while the lazy squirrels are still sleeping in their cozy nests! But they get plenty of nuts later.
Fascinating! I'd never have thought that squirrels would trust humans enough to be fed from their hand
It just takes time and patience to build trust.
I wave at my squirrels to let them know food is available and that it is safe.
You put/throw food at a distance and each day you can slowly move the food closer to you. The closer it is to you the longer you may need to repeat the same distance.
They are extremely skittish but the reward of being patient is ineffable.
Awww... It's so precious when they grab your fingers with their paws gently. I wish my squirrels would do that too. My squirrels seem very hyper, like your Smoothie.
Such good reminders! I've been feeding them for some time now and some are just perfect to offer a nut to. One squirrel loved Brazilian nuts. I'd hold it and he would gently take it. You feel a special connection to one of God's creatures! Thanks for sharing! ❤🐿
Wonderfully said! ❤️ Thank you very much as well for your lovely comment 😊❤️
It is such a good feeling to know that they trust you enough to take food out of your hand!!
I often put out pistachios and other nuts like cashews that are not native to this area. And I wonder if the squirrels think "Where does he get these from?"
The LOVE the pistachios.
I wonder if there's any particular type of nut you would recommend or does it just vary with each squirrel?
Love your videos.
Love from Chicago.
@@franksmith7247 They love walnuts the most. They also love pecans and hazelnuts.
@@MelGsBackyardSquirreling Great. I'll get them some of each.
Thank you! 🐿️
I love squirrels and feed 4 every day. Love the vid
That's very nice and thank you for your kind words 😊❤️
Awesome feeling when they trust you enough to eat from your hands/fingers n gently touch hands on you! I agree 💯 with what you said in this video! Each squirrel has its own personality and humans MUST realize this and grow their friendships with the squirrels at the squirrel's comfortable pace .then it's a beautiful feeling when they are trusting you and the friendship blossoms ... Awesome video! 🐾 ❤️🐿️s
Thank you very much and I'm very glad you enjoyed it 😊❤️
Aww it's so cute when they hold your hand 😍💖
Yes, I love that so much 😊❤️🐿️ Thank you for your comment my friend ❤️
They gave me great conciliation when my father died.
😂😂 aww so meney little one's! Cuteness overload ☺☺❤❤🐿🐿
Great tips. There are only 2 squirrels that hang out at the tree near my apartment and they're not there all day. The bigger one runs away as soon as anyone shows up, but the smaller one (Tiny) will stick around if you don't go too close. I've been leaving whole walnuts near the tree for them and Tiny will only grab them once I'm gone. Very skittish 🐿 Funny thing is, they don't care for almonds. Tiny took a bite once and threw it away 🤣
I find your feeding research 120% CORRECT. Little paws are very gentle & observant if not rushed or skittish. I've learned so much comparing our KC Squirrels. /ᐠ｡ꞈ｡ᐟ\
I have about 6 of them that my fiance and I have been feeding for a few weeks. We're now greeted every morning when we leave for work. They love almonds. I feed them some raisins. They took 2 bites and threw them down on the ground!😂
Excellent advice. I've only been bit once and it was because my thumb twitched when my very trusted friend reached for the nut. I swear she felt bad and tried to apologize. I'm actually outside on my lanai when I feed them. I hold the nuts out like you do. They amaze me with their different personalities. I keep water out for mine too. Love your videos.
Thank you very much for your kind words and for sharing your experience 😊❤️
Thank you for sharing this video with us. It's so cute when they touch your fingers to get their treats. "Thank you, sweet lady."
Thank you for your kind comment 😊❤️
Morning dose of happiness ✅
I am not sure if it's polite or appropriate to mention other channels, but I also enjoy one where a guy feeds wild squirrels in a park in Russia.
The squirrels there are obviously used to people offering food, and they often just sit on the guy's hand (palm) while munching on nuts.
Gorgeous little creatures :D
I got them eating from my hand too. When I first begin they are very 'Jacked up' but after the first contact they settle good. Have a good gathering early and end of day. I have had a few grab my finger by accident, but, never a bite so far. The lil claws are a bit of a shocker. You instantly feel just how sharp they really are. My favorite ones are the hand touchers. It's as if they are saying thank you.
That's wonderful 😊❤️ Their claws are very sharp indeed but what's amazing to me, is how my squirrel Lilly knows not to press her claws into my fingers, her paws are always very soft, and when she mistakenly grabbed my fingers with her teeth instead of the nut, she knew to retract immediately and she never bit me. But not all squirrels are like that, that's why is important to observe each squirrel's behavior individually. 🐿️
Lilly must be one of the keenest customers at "Cafe Window".
She'll be asking for a hazel latte next....😉
❤ from Norway 🇳🇴
Guess you have to be patient ,but as timid as they are ,they still want your yummy treats!
Great tips. So true about the ones that are more comfortable with you being more gentle and careful taking the food from your hand (using their cute paws like you see in this video) than the skittish ones. I also noticed that the more chill squirrels don’t run away after grabbing the nut. They sit immediately right next to you and sometimes turn their back on you, which I think means they trust you.
I had a skittish one bite my hand really bad a few weeks ago, which was by accident of course as he thought my finger was a nut, and it was pretty deep. Drew blood immediately and it took like a week to heal. I just wear gloves now just in case. It’s still a very heart warming experience 😊 You really do feel connected with them.
This is a nice video. I first started feeding them out of my palm but I was gently bitten two times by a gentle sweet squirrel. I think he mistook my finger for the nut because they can’t see well under their nose like you said. I hand them to them now pinched between my fingers. I always feed chipmunks out of my palm but one tried for the first time recently and that one gently bit my finger too😂. At least all of these times they were very gentle lol.
Thank you very much for sharing this and for your kind words my friend 😊❤️
@@Squirrels_at_the_window You’re welcome!😊
That sounds very familiar! I've been nibbled on 3 times by squirrels and once by a chipmunk. I was pinching the longest peanuts I could find for the squirrels, but if you can't see, you can't see.🤣 As of now, none have made a mark!😊
@@wildlifeathome Lol! Yes luckily no bite marks for me but I have gotten scratched a few times. Nothing major though, just light scratches from being jumped on by squirrels flying through the air, running or jumping from each other. I have had a few squirrels land in my lap now lol. The worse mishap, which wasn’t bad at all, was my squirrel that can catch somehow jumped up and scratched my face I think with his back feet like jumping off. I got a few small scratches very close to my eye, but I’m ok and me and my catching squirrel are still great friends😊⚾️🐿 lol. I know he jumped because there was another squirrel. I can’t expect much else sitting so close to so many squirrels. I always have antibacterial soap, peroxide and neosporin on hand just in case lol.
@@MelGsBackyardSquirreling It's all worth it!😃❤🐿
They are so lovely!!!!! Marvelous the way you treat them, so kindly😊❤❤❤❤
Very good suggestions! If the squirrel doesn't know you or you have never fed one before, I suggest welders gloves (actually a plain leather glove is fine) for the first attempt. Take that from someone with "squirrel fingers." LOL! Almost all don't mean to bite, but can mistake a fingertip for a peanut. They have excellent vision for spotting predators, but not so good at the tip of the nose. So what are squirrel fingers you ask? Well that is when your finger tip has enough scar tissue that it's hard for the critter to bite through the skin. Chipmunks can make the same mistake and their little teeeth are sharp. I just learned that last week LOL.
I got bitten few times myself, it's an occupational hazard, lol. But so much worth it, and it's good to share what we've learned with other people, to hopefully prevent them from not getting bitten. 🙂 Thank you for sharing what you've learned from your experience. ❤️
Thank you for that information. Everyday I feed squirrels at my window, but I I never fed them from my hand, which I really want to do.
It is very nice when they touch you with their paws, but don't forget their claws can hook into solid oak and they will scratch you easily :) I love my squirrels, but to viewers here, they are wild animals, be careful, this lady here is a pro.
😊I also must say this,🤗 I love🥰 that the names are on screen. It will help me recognize them in your videos! It cracks me up seeing them maintain a certain distance apart out on the pavement, of course they were doing that long before we were told to. Lesson learned.😶
Take care💖😊
I'm glad having their names on the screen was helpful 😊🐿️ Thanks again for all your comments my friend ❤️
I feed them peanuts. Some would eat out of my hand. It took a few days to gain there trust. Funny creatures. 🇺🇸 🐿️ 🎄 🥜 👏
That's nice 😊
Not really hand feeding but if I put food out for them and I can see they are very hyper and have their tail up I always place the food down with my palm facing down so they don't see the food and reach out for it. I noticed you're squirrels are so well behaved! I don't see any anybody chasing each other and they all wait they're turn for the drive-through. :)
Thank you for your comment ❤️ They are indeed very precious and well behaved, but they do chase each other sometimes. 😊🐿️ I have a video with Smoothie the squirrel high speed chasing another squirrel, if you want to watch: czcams.com/video/ilm7rYyVuMk/video.html
Use to feed them out of hand at my old house, just gotta get them use to you. Great video!
I've got a couple of squirrels that I feed peanuts too by hand ! They have these super sharp little feet....so be careful !!!
I have some questions. Do squirrels take some nuts back to their nest and store them for wintertime? It looked like they were taking a lot of nuts from you, and I was just wondering if you knew what they do. Also, do you ever talk to them? They seem to love you, and have a great bond with you. I imagine it would be even stronger if you are talking to them sometimes, off camera. Thank you so much for these precious videos! Squirrel love ❤️ 🐿️
They store nuts sometimes for when they don't feel like coming to my window. And I do talk to them a lot, but not as much when I film. 😊
What I’ve seen with the squirrels near me is that they dig a shallow hole, drop the food in there and cover it up. They are especially busy doing this in late summer and autumn. They remember where all their little food treasures are, later on when needing food during the winter. At least this is what I’ve observed in the climate of Illinois. I make sure to buy them the dried corn on the cob. I toss a few whole cobs out every couple of days. They absolutely love it and whatever corn kernels are left behind has been great leftovers for the Blue Jays and Cardinals that also come to feed.❤🙂I love the community here where we have the same interest in and concern for wildlife. The birds and squirrels bring so much joy to me and in return, I try my best to make sure they know I will provide extra food for them.
@@Squirrels_at_the_window That is so sweet! You are helping them by feeding them and also providing extra food that they can save for later. I’m sure they must love you. They probably love the sound of your voice too! I could watch squirrels all day. I grew up around them, here in Northern California. 🌰 🐿️ 🐿️ ❤️
It is amazing how many squirrels you have at your home!
Yes, they do sometimes mistake my fingers for food..and they seem sorry when they do..
Im much more careful now and have learned to reposition my fingers And hold a back-up nut too..💙🌎
Its been such a great retirement gift to move up north into the woodlands...wakeup before dawn and watch the racoons go to roost and wait for the squad to show up. 🤗
Thank you so much for your channel hon💙💙💙
It's been such a long time since I felt a little squirrel hands on my fingers. Maybe since I was a kid. But at least I have felt a little ducklings standing on my feet. Which is good until they get bigger and heavier and their claws dig in to you. Muscovy Ducks have sharp claws. I have seen a grown male duck climb a wall made out of hardware cloth. Actually it was a fence. We had to keep making it taller and taller because he just climbed it. And I have seen little ducklings climb the same hardware cloth because they thought they could get to their mother that way. But their mother was on the other side of the hardware cloth wall because she had walked around the duck house to the back. Both of those were amazing. But the little ducklings will come to me. They aren't afraid of anything. My older ducks are less forthcoming. Sometimes every time you come out the back door lots of ducks run to you. My first ducks were less spoiled. We could throw anything out the back door and they would eat it. And also they were eating everything that was growing in the backyard but now it's gone. There was lots of foraging. Now we buy them food and they are more spoiled. But shadow did come up to me this morning when I sat down in my chair. It was just that I didn't have any food at the moment. Had to go back in and get the worms. Who ever thought I would hold worms?
Mine used 2 luv sliced Avocado.
Mine don't like avocado at all. I have a video about it, if you want to watch: czcams.com/video/3ZL2ESJ6gdw/video.html
@@Squirrels_at_the_window that is so funny.Bram is like no way I want the nuts bac.Maybe it's a Boston thing ! Thx 4 the vid
It’s Squirrel Lee! ❕and his crew 🥰
It's nice to meet you, friend. They are absolutely amazing and so are you, by staying still and learning their behavior. It was so awesome to see them eat right from your hand. Thank you so much for teaching us too. I wish you the best of success and happiness.
Thank you very much for your lovely comment 😊❤️
Would you think a scratch to be more dangerous, yet less likely, than a bite? The squirrels here run through poo from all the other animals as well as their own and it isn't always exactly dry even when it's dry out.
At 1:01 you nailed it! "Which were: to observe their behaviour, to be gentle with them and to be patient in gaining their trust." It's exactly how I gained so much trust in Nicky. It may take awhile with the squirrels here, I may have chipmunks climbing on me before that happens.😂🤣
I think scratches are more dangerous as far as germs and I also agree with her about observing their behavior before hand feeding because the ones that are nervous are much more likely to accidentally scratch your finger as they grab the food!
I think squirrels have more germs on their claws than in their mouth, but I wouldn't classify any as dangerous, as long as you disinfect the wound thoroughly and use peroxide. As about which one is more likely, I've been scratched twice and bitten once, but I think there's an equal chance of getting bitten and scratched when dealing with wild squirrels. It's an occupational hazard, but so much worth it 😄❤️🐿️ Thank you for your question and comment ❤️
@@Squirrels_at_the_window The few minor hazards that come with being an animal lover are worth it. I have had worse problems with poison oak and BlackBerry plants than any animal in my 50 years of life. I've been hit in the head by a giraffe at a zoo, thrown from a horse, kicked in the foot by a passing Nicky! The insects have done more than any larger animals, mosquitoes are the most deadly animal on the planet, I was stung by a Yellowjacket wasp that made my face swell up to the point I couldn't see, the itching was the worst part. I wasn't even aware I was so allergic as I've been stung before with no problems. It was one of five times being stung in a single year, and the only times I was stung in probably more than ten years. Now I have an EpiPen in case of emergencies from an insect.😐
I have one very friendly squirrel that will come when I call it, I haven't hand fed him/her yet i am still trying to let them trust me, after watching your last video i went out and gave them some walnuts and they went crazy 😂 they had been eating my cardinal feed so I decided to give them something special just for them ❤
I used 2 feed a bunch every year.A Hawk nested nearby & I think he wiped them out.Luv seein this tho thx.🐿️💞🐿️
Sorry about that 🙁 I'm glad you love watching my squirrels and thank you as well for your comment. 😊❤️
They are so fun 2 watch.So incredibly smart 2.
Great video! Well done.
Thank you 😊❤️
I never realized just how sharp their little claws are they’re like razors lol
wow, there are so many squirrel. soooooooooooo cute.
Thank you for your lovely comment 😊❤️
Love ❤u your kitty and your squirrel buddies. I am so grateful for your channel. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.❤ You are a very keen observer.
Thank you for your kind words 😊❤️
So cute ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Thank you for your comment 😊❤️
Don.t forget to subscribe Thank you Very much ❤️❤️🙏🙏
@@Squirrels_at_the_window just Don.t forget subscribe 🙏🙏
❤❤❤❤🐿🐿🐿🐿que hermosas ardillas
I've been bitten by accident a few times in the beginning, but now I hold the nuts and treats lightly by two fingers so they can grab it easily with their teeth. They have long and really sharp teeth which can puncture the skin easily. Whenever that happened, I immediately disinfected it with hydrogen peroxide, just in case. :)
Lil
Homies about to come inside
😊❤️... lovin' little critters with lovin' touches 🐿️... with both paws..❤️😊 so sweet 🐿️❤️
Such a lovely comment, thank you 😊❤️
Nice footage 😊
I've subscribed to your channel 👍
Thank you and welcome to my channel 😊❤️
i love your squirrels! ❤
Omg they are so cute I envy you! I have the most cute wild bunnies in my bulding complex garden but they are so afraid. Can not get near them from a mile away...
I had one that I used to hand feed shelled pecans [they seemed to love them]. It would climb my pant leg to get them if I was too slow. It was cute, but their little paws have needle like claws. Only time I ever had a problem was with a different one who was too eager, even with 90 percent of the nut available he went a little too deep and nicked the end of a fingernail. It bled some, but I didn't get rabies, so I assume it wasn't infected. I was nervous a few days though. But I was surprised to see how well yours got along, For me when a different one showed up there usually was a squabble, which wouldn't end till one ran off and got away-they seemed more interested in chasing the other off than actually getting a nut.
Thank you for your comment and for sharing this 😊❤️
I have so many squirrels that come to my garden.
Very helpful. I hand-feed "Zunkie" she bites occasionally, but hard yesterday. I think it was because I was trying to feed her one nut while also holding a fistful more in the same hand, Also, I assumed she'd know when she's biting me and not the nut, that seems not be true?
She and I have breakfast quietly together three or four times a week. She can be a proper Lady most days.
Thank you
lovely to see👍
AW COOL
Thank you 😊❤️
Wish i had these guys where i live but sadly I live in Australia
Awesome
Thank so much for your tips…..I hope to be as close to ours as you are……you must go through some nuts!….we go through kilos of nuts a month and at most we only get 4 different squirrels! ….love your channel x🇬🇧💕x
Thank you as well for your lovely comments ❤️ It is pretty expensive to feed 20+ squirrels, many birds, raccoons, chipmunks and rabbits, but the joy and laughter they bring me is priceless. 😊❤️🐿️🦝🐦🐇
Try black oil sunflower seeds. It is squirrel crack that many people put in bird feeders and then complain about the squirrels eating all the squirrel food.
Came to this video after feed them by hand and getting two wounded fingers. They're shallow though, the squirrels wanted to nip the nuts but mistook my fingers for food.
I saw that blue bird at the park today
Such a lovely bond you have with them ❤ and they really trust you. What happens when you are away for some days or on a vacation?
I leave food for them to my mother-in-law who lives in the same building, to feed them while I'm gone.
Thanks for your reply and it’s so thoughtful of you. It’s really wonderful watching your videos 😇
i bet han jisung would like this video
I had one bite right thru my fingernail.
Me too, but it heals in few months, lol. That's why I made this video to hopefully help other people to not get bitten or scratched. 😊
Sweet
Thank you 😊
This is something ive been working towards since last fall after successfully getting chipmunks to take peanuts from me after a week or two.
Squirrels are not so easy.
That's true, squirrels are more skittish than chipmunks.
Slowly making progress though. One day at a time.
Why don't you feed them out of the palm of your hand? Are they more likely to bite you (even accidentally) that way? We're just now teaching our local squirrel to be comfortable coming up the stairs to our porch for peanuts with us. We're a long way from hand feeding.
I hope your neighbours don't mind your feeing them. Our neighbours don't like us feeding the crows, though I don't know why. If they see us feeding the squirrels, they might get upset. Speaking of corvids, you're so lucky to also have those Blue Jays. We have Steller's Jays here but not very many of them. I very seldom see or hear them. Hearing your Blue Jays, I'm reminded of my visits to my grandmother in New York State.
I'm glad you're feeding the squirrels despite what the neighbors might think. Yes, they are more likely to bite you by mistake if you feed them from the palm of your hand. I actually tried it once, and I have a video about it if you would like to watch: czcams.com/video/OGOffOiNfzs/video.html
@@Squirrels_at_the_window That's good information. Thanks. I wouldn't have thought of that. We're in the process of creating a proper back yard with a fence, so we'll have more privacy when feeding crows and squirrels. At the moment, we're feeding them from our front porch. Crows, by the way, are fascinating. If you fed yours, you'd only be feeding one family: mama and papa mate for life, so you'd be feeding two, plus youngsters, no more. They're very smart, loving, playful... and they do share with squirrels, up to a point anyway.
I get a different kind of squirrel where i live, theyre little redheads 😊
We feed them but the question is - Will they ever return the favour? 😅. Come on little buddies. A bit of training and we can have a good thing going. Squeak and collect from the local drive thru 🐿😋
They return the favor by bringing us joy and laughter 😊🐿️ But actually is us humans who cut down the trees (their homes and food sources) to put our homes in their place, so it's us who should return the favor by helping them with food and shelter the best we can. 😊
@@Squirrels_at_the_window True. In the UK they are spiking their food with contraceptives. They want to eradicate the Grey. Today we fed them strawberries. Seemed happy with that 🙂
I'm sorry about trying to eradicate them. 😟 My squirrels are not big fans of strawberries, but some of them eat it. Their favorite fruits are grapes and cherries, but nothing beats nuts 😊🐿️🥜
@@Squirrels_at_the_window Ours like grapes as well. Nuts are No1 though 🙂. Really hoping someone does something to protect our squirrels
Did I tell you that I have seen a grown squirrel being afraid of a tiny duckling? It's so frustrates me after all these years that when I was trying to take video of that, my camera was in standby. But yeah the squirrel had its tail over its back. I knew it was scared of the duckling. And it was a standoff for at least a couple of minutes before the squirrel just gave up and ran away.
❤👍❤👍❤
Army of Tree 🐿️,
i hear on other vid's saved animals sometimes find humans that rescued them. but after i rescued that 1 squirrel, i had moved to another state😐
I have questions
Is it illegal to feed wild squirrels? I'm not calling you a criminal.
Where I live is legal!
Well, be careful. Any mammal can have rabies, which is 100% fatal. Just a small bite or scratch is sufficient for a rabid animal to transmit the disease to you. A bite might not be due to rabies, but the only way to know is either to quarantine the animal or to kill it and examine its brain.
That is the harsh reality. I love wildlife myself. There is something beautiful about interacting with squirrels, but having a wild mammal eat directly from your hand is risky.
Thanks for the warning, but that's another reason why is important to observe the squirrel and its behavior, to be able to tell if it's sick or not. I pay very close attention to my squirrels and I can tell every small change in their appearance and behavior. We should be wise and careful, but if we let fear get to us, it can prevent us from enjoying many wonderful things in life. 😊
Is it wise to train the squirrels to lose their fear of humans?
Also, it looks like you are feeding the squirrels peanuts - online sites seem to agree that peanuts aren't safe for them to consume. They aren't nuts - they are legumes; as such, they don't have much nutritional value for squirrels (who will eat most of what you will put in front of them).
I'm not training them to lose their fear of people, they are still afraid, only with me and probably other people who are kind to them they get a little bit more comfortable, but it takes a lot of time, patience and kindness to gain their trust. Regarding peanuts, that's a misconception, I've been feeding them mostly dry roasted unsalted peanuts for more than 3 years and they are very healthy, happy and beautiful. Not all the information on the internet is accurate.
Cute and nice video. Don't forget to also give them nuts in shells so they can wear their teeths which grow unlimited
I know. But you can also give them shed deer antler sticks which are even better because they have minerals and you won't have a mess of discarded shells.