How to Recycle Halloween Pumpkins for Wildlife

One of the best parts of Halloween is decorating with pumpkins. After the trick-or-treaters clear away and Halloween is officially over, don’t toss your pumpkins in the trash! Here are several all-natural ways to recycle them with local wildlife in mind.

1. Compost Your Pumpkins

If you’ve carved a jack-o-lantern, it won’t take long for it to start naturally composting. Pumpkins are 90% water, which means they quickly begin breaking down once you cut into them. This makes them a great addition to your compost pile.

Prevent unwanted pumpkin plants from sprouting in your compost pile by removing the seeds first (set seeds aside for #2 or #5 below). If you don’t have a compost bin or pile, check your local recycling center, nearby farms, or community gardens to see if they collect old pumpkins for composting.

2. Give Pumpkin Seeds to the Birds

Many birds and small mammals will eat pumpkin seeds if you offer them in your yard. Just collect seeds from your pumpkins before composting them. Don’t add salt or seasoning is you’re going to offer them to the wildlife.

Scatter the seeds outside or put them on a platform or hopper feeder as a special treat, either on their own or mixed with your store-bought birdseed. If you’re going to mix them with store-bought seed, dry the pumpkin seeds out in the oven before mixing (moisture can cause seed to get moldy). If you have a tube-style feeder, make sure the ports are big enough for the pumpkin seeds to fit through.

3. Cut into Pieces for Animals

Cut your pumpkin into pieces and scatter in your yard as a treat for local critters. Birds will feed on the flesh pumpkins in addition to the seeds, as will squirrels, foxes, deer and other mammals (The zoo porcupine in the video below doesn’t even need it cut into pieces!)

IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT FEEDING WILDLIFE: Putting food out for mammals is generally discouraged. Unlike birds which only use feeders as a supplement to natural foods, regularly fed wild mammals can stop eating their natural foods and lose their fear of people, which isn’t a good thing. That said, it’s ok to do as a once-a-year treat as a way to recycle your pumpkins, but moderation is important. Cutting up one or two pumpkins for the wildlife is fine, but a dozen is probably too much.

Don’t do this if large animals such as bears might be attracted to your yard (although in most places bears are entering their winter dormancy by the time Halloween passes) or if rats are an issue in your area. Don’t toss your pumpkins in the woods or other natural areas either. Natural areas aren’t dumping grounds for our garbage, even organic material like pumpkins.

4. Donate Your Pumpkins to an Animal Sanctuary

If you want your pumpkins to become food for animals but don’t want to put them in your own yard, you might be able to donate them to a local animal rescue sanctuary or farm park. Some of these facilities accept pumpkin donations, which they use as treats and enrichment for the animals in their care. Call and ask if the facility has a pumpkin donation program before you show up.

5. Plant Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkins are part of the squash family, and squash flowers offer nectar and pollen for pollinators. In fact, our native squash bees rely on the pollen from squash flowers as a food source for their young. Squash bees are among the 30-40 percent of native bee species that are pollen specialists that can only feed their babies the pollen of specific native plants. Our cultivated squash varieties, including pumpkins, are descended from wild squash species native to the Americas.

So save some pumpkin seeds now to grow your own of pumpkin plants next year. They’re easy to grow and low maintenance garden plants. Not only will you have your own pumpkins to carve up next Halloween, you’ll “bee” feeding pollinators in the spring and summer too!

Garden for Wildlife with Native Plants

Help out your local birds, butterflies, bees, and other backyard wildlife year-round with the National Wildlife Federation’s Native Plant Collection, our curated line of regional native plants designed to support the most wildlife and be beautiful additions to your yard or garden landscape.