You would have to live out here Pom---- they not only eat them but last month we started seeing piles of pinecones all around the pine trees in preparation for winter. I love to watch when that activity starts, squirrels are scurrying from tree to tree, you can see the cones drop to the ground so they can be piled later. This year we're finding tons of small holes on the ground around the trees, almost looks like a little village being built from one tree to the next. More squirrels this year, I wonder if it could mean a mild winter. Did you know squirrels don't hibernate like other mammals Pom? On sunny days we see them trotting on top of the snow, probably going to a secret cache.