I get the acorn drop every year, but I don’t recall it being this bad. Is anyone seeing the same thing or is it just in that way in Central Georgia? Just walking around during the day and night you can audibly hear them dropping non-stop.
That’s how it was in Tennessee two years ago. Bumper crop of white oak acorns. It messed with deer season big time, the deer literally weren’t moving around because if they walked 50’ from where they woke up they could eat all the acorns they wanted!
@Bennett
Yeah, I’m wasting money this year feeding deer corn to raccoons. Even the feral hogs are leaving the feeders alone.
@Bennett
They bed down in the vacant wooded lot next to mine all the time. When I go out looking for armadillos at night I see their eyes.
Bevin said:
@Bennett
They bed down in the vacant wooded lot next to mine all the time. When I go out looking for armadillos at night I see their eyes.
The sound of those acorns falling is a dinner bell to them. Do what you may with that information.
@Bennett
Nah…Deer have been bedding down all around my house for years. If I forget to put milorganite around my patio and shrubs they come right up to the buffet.
It’s a thing, some trees are adapted to starve out seed eaters. They’ll invest more energy every other year in seed production. One year they’ll have a lot of seeds and the next year only a little or none. Sometimes they’ll skip a few years in max seed production. Basically they try to starve out omnivores so they’ll move to another location and lower the population. it’s a cool small fact for ya.
@Taryn
I was looking for this comment. Such a cool little reproductive defense mechanism.
@Taryn
This is actually known as a ‘mast year’!
They’re absolutely horrendous in PA. My yard is filled and they freakin hurt to step on. My dog also keeps vomiting acorns because she eats so many.
I’m in south Louisiana. We have two live oaks that nearly cover our entire house. The acorns this year have been like a nonstop hail storm on our roof for the past few weeks. This is our third year in this house but it’s the first time I’ve really noticed the volume of acorns.
@Winter
Same, even out in dry af central Texas. although relatively for y’all, it seems like Louisiana has been dry too. Maybe live oaks drop more acorns in drier years? Idk.
Mine was walnuts. More of a problem because of the squirrels, but also constantly taking the kids out to rake them up and throw them in the trash. I moved since then. I was at one point trying to come up with a way of catching them before they hit the ground to be funneled into a trash can… moving was easier lol.
@Zya
Walnuts are expensive and delicious!
Yes! As kids we picked them up and cracked them up with a hammer to serve for Thanksgiving. I also enjoy them. My kids are 1 and 2 so I do not have the time to do this. If they were older I would definitely make it a part of their day!
We get bumpers every 5-7 years. 2019 was insane. One oak tree filled 12 lawn bags (to the halfway point, or else you couldn’t possibly pick up the bags). 2022 was calm, I didn’t even bag the acorns, I just blew them to the edge of the yard. This year was just like 2019.
@Kumi
I have a yard sweeper that will get some up, but I was hoping to mulch the leaves most of the winter. My driveway is a nightmare.
Bevin said:
@Kumi
I have a yard sweeper that will get some up, but I was hoping to mulch the leaves most of the winter. My driveway is a nightmare.
My back deck is the same. Dangerously un-walkable, even the dogs tiptoe to get to the grass.
Probably a mast year, watch out for crazy rodent populations next spring.
It’s a bumper year in central Texas I think. Last year we had a puny amount. This year it nearly feels worth it to go buy one of those nut rollers.