Recycle Your Pumpkin for Wildlife
If possible, don’t dump your used pumpkin in the trash. If nothing else, pumpkins are easily composted, feeding worms and microbes. But they also can be turned into a variety of wildlife treats.
In my experience, squirrels will be the first to lay claim to any pumpkin in your backyard. But this seems to vary by region and even by neighborhood. In some communities, I see lots of intact, carved pumpkins decorating yards. In others, it looks like the local pumpkins were subject to a chainsaw massacre, with parts strewn all over the lawn thanks to industrious and hungry squirrels.
But many other wild animals eat pumpkins, including porcupines, raccoons, opossums and deer.
Some question whether it’s a good idea to feed wildlife, a point well taken. However, many of these species are animals already visiting the bird feeder. So feeding a pumpkin or two is unlikely to pose any threat. That said, if you live in an area frequented by bears, forego leaving pumpkins outside so as to not habituate the animals.
