What do squirrels hate to eat?

Squirrels hate to eat certain foods that are bitter, spicy, or unpalatable to them, though they are not very picky and will eat almost anything when hungry, so using hate foods alone will not reliably keep them away. Foods squirrels dislike include very bitter or heavily spiced foods, such as hot peppers containing capsaicin, which is why many bird seed mixes labeled hot pepper or squirrel-proof contain capsaicin, birds cannot taste it but squirrels can and find it irritating, though some squirrels still eat it. They dislike strongly scented raw onions and garlic in large amounts, though they may still gnaw on them. They tend to avoid safflower seeds, which have a bitter taste that many squirrels dislike, which is why safflower is often recommended for bird feeders to deter squirrels, though some squirrels will still eat it if other food is scarce. They also avoid heavily processed salty or artificial foods when natural foods are available. However, squirrels do not truly hate many foods, they are opportunistic and will eat nuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables, insects, and human leftovers. What they truly hate is not being able to access food, so the most effective deterrent is not offering foods they dislike but making food inaccessible through squirrel-proof feeders with baffles, storing bird seed in sealed metal containers, and placing feeders according to the 5 7 9 rule.