Grey Squirrels digging in my lawn

[Giant Squirrel]

Hi all.

I am new to feeding grey squirrels here in England, UK.
What is best to feed the squirrels without them digging my lawn.. I am not wanting holes in my lawn.

I am currently feeding peanuts. I like to see the squirrels in my garden running back and too from other gardens but not a fan of the digging they do I probably wont have a lawn left at the end of winter.
I know they bury food for the winter months.





NOTE: Not sure if this is the right forum board section, thanks.

[island rehabber]

Welcome and thanks for caring about our squirrel friends. Typically, squirrels don't bury nuts that are already out of the shell, so you could refrain from giving them the unshelled ones that they know they can bury. Other than that, there isn't much you can do to prevent their hard-wired instinct to bury nuts. Sorry!

[Giant Squirrel]

Welcome and thanks for caring about our squirrel friends. Typically, squirrels don't bury nuts that are already out of the shell, so you could refrain from giving them the unshelled ones that they know they can bury. Other than that, there isn't much you can do to prevent their hard-wired instinct to bury nuts. Sorry!

Thank you. Are the unsheltered nuts the ones I have posted in the picture in my first post/thread? Thanks.

[Charley Chuckles]

Wow beautiful set up and lawn 👏
I feed mine almonds out of the shell they eat some burry the rest, I spend so much for the little beggars 🤣 nuts in the shell same thing they eat some burry some....it's a squirrel thing 🤷
Tell them to go burry in your neighbors yard 🤫😁

[JoanneInWis]

I have the same thing going on. My friend told me to think of it as free core aeration.

[Chirps]

I don't think the digging they do will bother your grass. They do pat it down after they bury something.

I guess the retrieval may be an issue. If I had to choose, I'd pick squirrels over lawn, but the damage if any is likely minimal. You could probably just tamp it down with your foot like when everyone turns the divets in a polo match. Are you seeing problems or thinking ahead to potential problems?

[Giant Squirrel]

I don't think the digging they do will bother your grass. They do pat it down after they bury something.

I guess the retrieval may be an issue. If I had to choose, I'd pick squirrels over lawn, but the damage if any is likely minimal. You could probably just tamp it down with your foot like when everyone turns the divets in a polo match. Are you seeing problems or thinking ahead to potential problems?

I am seeing the problems I have a few holes in the grass already. They bury and come back later or next day and dig a small hole.
I am wanting to feed the squirrels but not wanting them to go away and bury there food. Is there food out there they don't bury but eat at the squirrel feeder?

I have tried Monkey Nuts, Nuts, Black sunflower seeds they bury these food from what I have seen.
Thanks

[BigNibbler]

Squirrels digging in lawn ? Hmmm, well as someone who has worked tirelessly to learn about and help squirrels for nearly twenty years... my response may be less sympathetic than you would wish. They are beautiful, living vegetarians, trying to survive in this cruel meat eating world. Does their consumption of the oxygen above your lawn bother you ? What about the seeds and nuts that they bury, which eventually will lead to new trees and bushes? If you invited a hungry friend to your home for a meal, would you ban him from using the bathroom?

I would hope you can find joy in watching them happy hopping in digging up a buried treasure, and then more joy seeing how they choose to re-locate it for safe keeping - digging a new and deeper hole elsewhere.

The winter is when they need to have a stash of nuts at their disposal. They cannot be waiting out in the freezing cold, sleet and snow for you to feed them then!
So that is why, most squirrels, even before they will eat your delicious offerings, will feel compelled to invest for the future.
Most squirrels, will not eat, until first they have checked ( buy digging up and then reburying ) their existing stashes or they will first forage - digging here and there to find new valuables to re-save. Only then will they eat!

Nuts decay too easily if not protected by a shell. So it is a hard decision.. do they bury it, and risk ruining it, or do they ... um well guess they have little choice.
Fact is that they could be grabbed by a predator, just as easily while checking on moldy inedible foods, as they could on solid well preserved shelled nuts.
And of course, if you gave them nuts IN shells, then your lawn would quickly have lots of shells about!

I have used electric blowers and mulchers to vacuum up the shells and spit them out all ground up.... or have your landscaper do it.

Don't you just hate the neighbors' landscapers; blowing leaves all around, spewing disgusting unhealthy fumes and disturbing the peace with deafening noise - so occasionally - you can have a landscaper vacuum up all the shells and plant some new grass seed.

But don't let them treat the soil with any Roundup or other human and animal poison.

Squirrels dig: Dig it!