Do tree squirrels eat insects?

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Do squirrels forget where they hide their food? — squirrel Overview of food-burying behaviour in squirrels.

Yes, tree squirrels do eat insects. While their diet primarily consists of nuts, fruits, and seeds, these rodents are omnivorous and will consume a variety of other food sources, including fungi and insects.1

In addition to insects, tree squirrels have been known to eat nectar, leaves, buds, flowers, and the cambium layer of tree bark. They may also occasionally consume bird eggs, nestlings, and carrion. Some species, such as red squirrels, have even been observed hunting and eating small animals.1