Acorns a Growing Threat in Massachusetts

[snopes]

Massachusetts residents say they are under siege from this year's large crop of acorns as the hard nuts have been falling from trees like rain.

http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2009/09/...5621253986866/

[Malruhn]

I was just speaking to some commercial fishermen in Hull, MA (just outside of Boston). They were talking about this - and the "fact" that the acorns were all VERY big and meaty - which indicates that this winter is supposed to be horrible.

Great! (/sarcasm) After six years in the south or in the desert, I've been dreading this winter in New England. It's gonna kick my BUTT!

[lord_feldon]

I see that taking away their government funding didn't teach them a strong enough lesson.

[Mycroft]

Originally Posted by Malruhn

I was just speaking to some commercial fishermen in Hull, MA (just outside of Boston). They were talking about this - and the "fact" that the acorns were all VERY big and meaty - which indicates that this winter is supposed to be horrible.

Surely that just means that it has been a good summer for Oak tress (nit neccessarily a good summer for humans, as it would imply sun and rain).

[CryoWalt]

Problem Solved

[CSGirl]

Originally Posted by Malruhn

I was just speaking to some commercial fishermen in Hull, MA (just outside of Boston). They were talking about this - and the "fact" that the acorns were all VERY big and meaty - which indicates that this winter is supposed to be horrible.

Great! (/sarcasm) After six years in the south or in the desert, I've been dreading this winter in New England. It's gonna kick my BUTT!

Link to an article that discusses that- I can't read the actual article, can't get to livejournal at work.

They do mention that years with higher acrons production usually mean worse gypsy moths too. Ughhh. I remember the last bad gypsy moth year, it was horrible.

[Syllavus]

Originally Posted by Malruhn

I was just speaking to some commercial fishermen in Hull, MA (just outside of Boston). They were talking about this - and the "fact" that the acorns were all VERY big and meaty - which indicates that this winter is supposed to be horrible.

Great! (/sarcasm) After six years in the south or in the desert, I've been dreading this winter in New England. It's gonna kick my BUTT!

Sort of off-topic, but when did you come up to this area Malruhn? I missed that development somehow.

We have an oak tree in our front yard and they've been pinging my car and pinging me in the head for weeks. Our squirrels are already fat enough, they don't need all these acorns.

[CSGirl]

Ya know, we don't even have any oaks around us, really, mostly maples. Guess we're lucky now!

[tagurit]

I don't have oaks; I'm surrounded by black walnut trees for the first time in my life. I don't want to hear about your puny acorns! Let a black walnut hit you and you'll get my sympathy.

ETA: But, yeah. Appears to be a bumper crop of black walnuts, too.

[Banrion]

Originally Posted by CSGirl

Ya know, we don't even have any oaks around us, really, mostly maples. Guess we're lucky now!

Those helicopters are more dangerous IMHO. It rains and they get all slimy and slippery. Get a good coating of helicopters on the ground and it is almost as bad as ice.

[CSGirl]

Originally Posted by Banrion

Those helicopters are more dangerous IMHO. It rains and they get all slimy and slippery. Get a good coating of helicopters on the ground and it is almost as bad as ice.

Yup, and they're a PITA to get off the car too.

[kanazawa]

Originally Posted by snopes

Massachusetts residents say they are under siege from this year's large crop of acorns as the hard nuts have been falling from trees like rain.

http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2009/09/...5621253986866/

Yeah, we are getting the same thing in Northern California. I have an oak in the back yard and have to vacuum up the patio every day, though it has slowed in the past week or so. I had been filling up a 9 gallon shop vac every other day.

[Beachlife!]

Originally Posted by Malruhn

I was just speaking to some commercial fishermen in Hull, MA (just outside of Boston). They were talking about this - and the "fact" that the acorns were all VERY big and meaty - which indicates that this winter is supposed to be horrible.

Great! (/sarcasm) After six years in the south or in the desert, I've been dreading this winter in New England. It's gonna kick my BUTT!

Having lived in the cold north for so long, I am sometimes amused watching someone from a nice climate spending their first winter here. I especially love it when they say "well it's only three months, I can handle that". I like to laugh and ask them which three months that would be, the first three or the second three?

[Thing 1]

There certainly are lots. My ecology lab was sampling in an oak-dominated forest earlier this week, on a breezy day. There were lots falling, I got one right on the top of my head. It's definitely been noticeable. But is it really that uncommon? I guess it may be even more than usual, but oaks do usually have years when they all produce a lot more acorns than others.

[DaGuyWitBluGlasses]

Originally Posted by tagurit

I don't have oaks; I'm surrounded by black walnut trees for the first time in my life. I don't want to hear about your puny acorns! Let a black walnut hit you and you'll get my sympathy.

ETA: But, yeah. Appears to be a bumper crop of black walnuts, too.

Another painful one is the "Horse chestnut"
It has hard spikes and is not much smaller:

http://www.noticenature.ie/files/conkersweb.JPG

[Malruhn]

Originally Posted by Syllavus

Sort of off-topic, but when did you come up to this area Malruhn? I missed that development somehow.

We have an oak tree in our front yard and they've been pinging my car and pinging me in the head for weeks. Our squirrels are already fat enough, they don't need all these acorns.

Syl, I moved to Boston in mid August... and I am already shivering. Winter is gonna SUCK!

[Banrion]

Originally Posted by Malruhn

Syl, I moved to Boston in mid August... and I am already shivering. Winter is gonna SUCK!

It will get better, before it gets worse. This is just the cold snap we get to remind us to really appreciate "Indian Summer" there should be another 3-4 days coming up soon that will go back to high 70's - low 80's before it gets really cold for good. If you are actually in Boston, it won't be so bad. The city seems to be pretty good about snow clean-up and salting, much better than many of the 'burbs, and the proximity to the ocean usually means less snowfall as well.

[Syllavus]

Originally Posted by Malruhn

Syl, I moved to Boston in mid August... and I am already shivering. Winter is gonna SUCK!

Oh man, I've lived here my whole life and even *I* am dreading it! Make sure you have a good warm pair of boots, some toasty gloves or mittens, and lots of windshield washer fluid! Good luck!

[Admiraldinty]

Originally Posted by Syllavus

Oh man, I've lived here my whole life and even *I* am dreading it! Make sure you have a good warm pair of boots, some toasty gloves or mittens, and lots of windshield washer fluid! Good luck!

Yeah, I'm really dreading it this year. I drive 30 miles to work every morning to teach an 8 AM class. I leave at 5:45 as it is. I can't imagine getting up at 4:30 or earlier to clear out my driveway and then having to put on a suit.