What not to feed squirrels at night?

You should not feed squirrels at night for several reasons related to their natural behavior and because certain foods are harmful at any time but especially problematic at night when they attract nocturnal pests. Squirrels are diurnal, meaning they are active during the day and sleep at night in nests called dreys or tree cavities, so feeding them at night is unnatural and can disrupt their sleep patterns and attract other animals like rats, mice, raccoons, and opossums that are nocturnal and will come to eat the food, leading to infestations and conflicts. Foods you should never feed squirrels at any time, including night, include chocolate which is toxic due to theobromine, caffeine, avocado skin and pit containing persin, raw dried beans containing lectins, onions and garlic, salty foods like chips and salted nuts which cause dehydration and kidney problems, sugary processed foods like candy and sweetened cereals, stale or moldy nuts and corn containing aflatoxins that cause liver damage, and fruit pits and apple seeds in large amounts. Also avoid bread and baked goods which offer little nutrition and mold quickly. If you must feed squirrels, do so during the day with unsalted nuts, sunflower seeds, and fresh vegetables, and clean up leftover food before dusk to avoid attracting rats and raccoons, which can also carry diseases.