I have birdbaths and bird feeders in my yard for the wildlife which both squirrels and birds and other creatures use. I have never had any damage done that I am aware of. I feed the squirrels unsalted roasted peanuts (which do not sprout) and sunflower seeds. Squirrels and birds don't seem to do any damage and often entertain me! I also garden for butterflies and dragonflies, so there is a lot of "movement" in my yard. To me ... a garden isn't a garden without wildlife.
I have had a rat problem or two from time to time. They have done the most damage by chewing holes in the screen around my back porch. Grrrrr ....! But between the snakes and my electric trap, they don't survive very long.
Raccoons can also be a problem. I have had to cover my 2 small pond containers with chicken wire to keep the raccoons from eating my minnows and destroying my waterlilies. I keep minnows to eat mosquito larvae.
It's the cycle of life here as my yard which is a wildlife habitat as well as a human garden. We happily co-exist.
