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Squirrels and oak trees?
Posted on 11/7/22 at 6:58 am
Posted on 11/7/22 at 6:58 am
Why are squirrels leaving bits of oak tree branches all over my yard? I see them carrying branch ends around. I've never seen this before! I did have practically no acorns this year. Is there a connection?
2
Posted on 11/7/22 at 6:58 am to jctiger73
They use branches to build nests, maybe nest building?
Posted on 11/7/22 at 7:35 am to baldona
I thought that, but there are bits of branches all over the yard. That's the part I was wondering about. It's as if they break a bit of branch off, decide it's no good (or whatever) and then leave it on the ground.
Posted on 11/7/22 at 8:14 am to jctiger73
I have around 15, 60 yr old oaks all around my house and it happens ever year, some years are more noticeable than others. My guess is due to the storms in recent years they're working harder to build new nests. It's aggravating for sure.
Edited, just googled for fun and it seems like they do it to sharpen their teeth as well...
Edited, just googled for fun and it seems like they do it to sharpen their teeth as well...
This post was edited on 11/7/22 at 8:20 am
Posted on 11/7/22 at 8:38 am to Stexas
Are you sure it’s not Twig girdler beetles ?Last year I had a bunch of small branches on the ground under one of my oak trees.It looked like something squirrels would have chewed off,turned out it was these beetles.
Squirrels do chew off limbs to make nests but they don’t just chew off lots of them and drop them on the ground.
There is also another beetle called a twig pruner.
Squirrels do chew off limbs to make nests but they don’t just chew off lots of them and drop them on the ground.
There is also another beetle called a twig pruner.
This post was edited on 11/7/22 at 9:49 am
Posted on 11/7/22 at 8:40 am to jctiger73
I have a large water oak in my front yard and it looks like a bad storm comes through every night in my yard with the limbs down. I think they are cutting acorns off the limbs, either making it easier to get them on the ground or when they bite one off they get the limb too. I’m about to go to war with the little bastards.
Posted on 11/7/22 at 11:48 am to BeerThirty
quote:
I have a large water oak in my front yard
That thing will be in your yard or on your house sooner than later
Posted on 11/7/22 at 6:39 pm to wickowick
It’s on the short list, that and the million other trees around every piece of concrete at this house. When we build, I won’t have a tree within 100 yards of concrete.
Posted on 11/7/22 at 7:13 pm to BeerThirty
quote:there’s a DSLD home then with your name on it
When we build, I won’t have a tree within 100 yards of concrete.
Posted on 11/7/22 at 7:20 pm to cgrand
Not a chance. I’m in a subdivision already surrounded by trees, with 100+ acres of woods behind me. Next is going to be acreage but it’s going to look like little house on a prairie.
Posted on 11/9/22 at 8:00 am to BeerThirty
Theories range from getting nesting material, relieving stress, to obtaining sodium.
I always figured they cut the limb tips that were too small to walk on and get to acorns, then went to the ground to eat the acorns off those cut ends.
One study suggests that is sometimes the case.
Forestry blog
I always figured they cut the limb tips that were too small to walk on and get to acorns, then went to the ground to eat the acorns off those cut ends.
One study suggests that is sometimes the case.
quote:
Forest health specialists in the northern part of the state recently received reports of oak trees suddenly losing branch tips (complete with attached leaves). Preliminary examinations of cut/branches did not initially reveal any obvious problems. However, upon closer inspection, teeth marks from squirrels were found on many of them. Squirrels were even observed clipping oak branches and dropping them to the ground.
It is possible that squirrels, at least in part, are clipping oak branches to more easily reach acorns, but not all clipped branches contained acorns. Clipped branches containing acorns were noted and checked the following day; most of the acorns had either been removed or partially consumed.
Forestry blog
Posted on 11/9/22 at 10:11 am to jctiger73
quote:watched this for years... they chew a twig that has a clump of acorns for it to fall to the ground, then they go down and harvest the acorns.
I thought that, but there are bits of branches all over the yard.
Posted on 11/9/22 at 11:09 am to BeerThirty
Take it from me … get that tree checked out. Water Oaks are a menace. Learned the hard way.
Posted on 11/10/22 at 8:11 am to tigerbaiter
We did. The tree itself is in good health but it’s a monster and too close to our house so it is still coming down. I’m kicking myself in the butt for not having it done during the dry spell we had so they don’t destroy my yard!
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