Whenever I stroll past a garden full of daylilies, I think, "What a beautiful garden of flowers." When squirrels see daylilies, they don't stroll past them. They look for a way to get to the flowers without being harmed.
Yes, squirrels like to eat daylilies. Squirrels know daylilies taste great. They will make an extra effort to get to any they can.
Why do squirrels eat daylilies
Squirrels love to eat plants and flowers. This is why squirrels eat daylilies. The pedals and buds are sweet and provide some good nutrient for squirrels.
Squirrels have also been observed digging up daylily bulbs and eating them. Daylily bulbs are loaded with some good stuff that squirrels like.
Nutrients of daylilies for squirrels
Daylilies are power packed with vitamins A and C. They also provide some protein for squirrels. Daylilies are a great choice for squirrels to snack on.
Checkout the article on daylilygarden.com to learn more about the nutritional values of daylilies.
What type of daylilies do squirrels eat
Any daylilies (Hemerocallis) can be eaten by squirrels. This means squirrels will dig in any time they find daylilies and are hunger. Sorry if you thought there might be a type of daylily you could grow that squirrels won't eat.
Do squirrels like one type of daylily more than another
Just like us, squirrels like the most flavorful foods on the menu. For daylilies, the most flavorful ones are the yellow daylilies. These are called Hemerocallis fulva.
Squirrels will go nuts for the yellow daylilies. The good thing about yellow daylilies is they grow like weeds. Which means, if you have yellow daylilies, there are plenty for squirrels to eat and still have a nice looking garden.
Now, just because squirrels like yellow daylilies, this doesn't mean they won't chow down on other daylilies. All daylilies have a good flavor, at least to squirrels. And they will not hesitate to eat any of them if they are hungry.
Best way to feed daylilies to squirrels
If you want to feed daylilies to squirrels, you can do it in two ways. You can harvest fresh daylilies or you can feed dried daylilies to them.
To feed fresh daylilies to squirrels, pick a bunch of dayliliy flowers. Then set them out early in the day when squirrels come out to feed. If your squirrels have a preferred time to feed in your area, then set the daylilies out just before that time. This way other animals won't get to them before the squirrels have a chance to eat.
For dried daylilies you can follow the same procedure as the fresh daylilies, except you should re-hydrate them before feed the squirrels.
You can dry your own daylilies and save them for feeding squirrels all year round. You can also buy dried daylilies if you don't want to go through the trouble of drying your own or if you don't actually grow daylilies.
Do squirrels eat daylilies off of the plant or the ground
Squirrels are not very picky when eating daylilies. They will pick them off of the plants or eat pedals that have fallen to the ground.
They will also dig into the ground to uncover daylily bulbs.
When do squirrels eat daylilies
Since most daylilies bloom in June and July, these are the months squirrels will eat them the most. You can also find some daylily plants that will bloom all spring and summer long. These daylilies provide an extended meal for squirrels that they normally wouldn't get with regular varieties of daylilies.
Squirrels will also eat daylilies in the winter time if you provide some to them. The best way to provide daylilies in the winter to squirrels is by storing up dried daylilies. You can feed the dried daylilies to the squirrels when all of the fresh daylilies are gone. The squirrels will thank you for this.
What part of the world do squirrels eat daylilies
With there being so many varieties of daylilies, you can find them all over the world. This means squirrels can enjoy a daylily meal no matter what part of the world they are in.
How to keep squirrels from eating daylilies
It can be hard to stop squirrels from eating your daylilies. You can try the usual fencing with chicken wire, but this can be an eyesore. Of course, if your daylilies are destroyed by squirrels, that would be a bigger eyesore.
You can also put different spices and essential oils around your daylilies to keep squirrels away. This method is very effective, but only last for a few days. Rain will wash spices and essential oils away, so the effectiveness is greatly diminished by rain.
You can also use aluminum foil to scare squirrels off. This too can look a little funny in your garden. Aluminum foil can work to ward off squirrels. It can be hard to place correctly to really be effective.
If squirrels are digging up your daylily bulbs, you should use a protective mesh in your garden. This will prevent them from digging into the soil. You will have to change the mesh every so often because it will become degraded and allow the squirrels to tear through it over time.
Are eating daylilies dangerous for squirrels
Daylilies aren't dangerous for squirrels to eat. They are very health for squirrels. Squirrels can eat daylilies everyday without being detrimental to their health.
With the essential vitamins and nutrients that daylilies provide, daylilies are a healthy meal for squirrels.
Conclusion
Daylilies are abundant in gardens all over the world. Squirrels love to eat this delicious plant. From the pedals to the bulbs, daylilies provide a great tasting, healthy snack for squirrels to enjoy.
Learn more about by reading our post on what to feed squirrels.
