I am not sure whether to rejoice or worry about this:


Scientists baffled by mysterious acorn shortage

(CNN) -- Up and down the East Coast, residents and naturalists alike have been scratching their heads this autumn over a simple question: Where are all the acorns?
Some scientists fear a mysterious shortage of acorns this fall in the eastern U.S. will affect squirrels.



Some scientists fear a mysterious shortage of acorns this fall in the eastern U.S. will affect squirrels.

Oak trees have shed their leaves, but the usual carpet of acorns is not crunching underfoot.

In far-flung pockets of northern Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and other states, scientists have found no acorns whatsoever.

"I can't think of any other year like this," said Alonso Abugattas, director of the Long Branch Nature Center in Arlington, Virginia.

Louise Garris, who lives in the Oakcrest neighborhood of Arlington, Virginia, first noticed the mysterious phenomenon early this fall when doing yardwork beneath a canopy of large oak trees.

"I have lived in the area my entire life and have never not seen any acorns!" she said. Garris checked with some local plant nurseries and they confirmed her observation.

The mystery has found its way to the Internet, where a "No acorns this year" discussion on Topix.com yielded more than 180 comments from people reporting acorn disappearances as far away as Connecticut and North Carolina.....

Complete article here: http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/science/12/12/acorn.shortage/index.html

Joe, quite interesting article. Here in Colorado I have approximately 300 Gamble Oak trees growing on my property. We had tens of thousands acorns this year. From the best trees, I gathered about 100 acorns and planted them in the greenhouse in Root Maker trays, and left the others to Mother nature and her creatures. - Millet

Millet, I hope the hungry squirrels in the east don't find the stash in Colorado!

I already set out signs telling them where they can find unending food! I'm waiting to see the first indication that their bags are being packed and they are heading west. Barbara

No squirrels here on Vancouver Island :D . I know on the mainland of British Columbia they collect nuts from many types of nut bearing trees and not just Oaks.

Cheers, Barrie.

That's interesting. Last year we saw quite a few acorns, and our dogs would pick them up and eat them, or play with them. After our vet told us acorns were bad for dogs, we started paying more attention to the acorns in our driveway.
Now that I think of it, this year I haven't seen any acorns, I have seen a few tiny caps, but no acorns. We've had a very bad drought the last 2 summers and our pine and cedars are suffering a lot.

I'm giving them all bus tickets to Colorado!

I'm in a permanent state of war with tree rats. They've done more damage to my plantings than all other critters combined.

.....Alan.

One died in my yard today--but I didn't do it-- my dog did! Good Dog!

I've lived full time on this farm for the last 23 years (May of '85). In all that time I have only seen one squirrel. Later that day, I found the squirrel dead on the driveway, caused by the dog. I don't know if rabbits eat acorns or not, but we have more than a LOTS AND LOTS of rabbits. Not one day ever passes that I don't see 3 to 8 rabbits. - Millet

Rabbit Pie and a lot more at
http://www.rabbithuntingonline.com/recipes/

I'm with Alan, I will rent a bus for them, load them up and send them on their way to the free food!

There is far from a lack of acorns here in alabama. I looked on the ground yesterday and you can't hardly see any dirt for the acorns that are germinating on top of the ground. There isn't any lack of squirrels around here neither. Has anyone ever seen a solid black squirrel? Whe have them everywhere around here. There bi-racial too. You see the regular gray ones, the solid black ones, and then there are the ones that are a product of interacial humping that are dark gray/light black. We also have fox squirrels and alot of chipmunks.