Outdoor Ontario

Off Topic => Anything Goes => Topic started by: Napper on July 23, 2011, 07:37:36 PM

Title: Oak tree, shedding acorns
Post by: Napper on July 23, 2011, 07:37:36 PM

Our oak tree is dropping hundreds of immature  green, split acorns

It hasn't rained in a while!

Napper  :?:

Title:
Post by: Axeman on August 01, 2011, 02:32:50 PM

Do you have any areas where you don't mow and the old acorns sit ?

There are a lot of insects that nest in the decaying acorns...in particular there are ants that nest in them after a particular moth has laid it's egg in it...the larvae then eats the meat insde the nut leaving a hollow nut...and a perfect entry / exit hole...and there is a particular species that is known as a "slavemaker" ant...it's a social parasite that makes "slaves" out of several smaller host species.

If you find some, I'd be curious to know.

Title: Acorns
Post by: Napper on August 03, 2011, 11:22:21 PM

Axeman

long time!!

How many acorns would you like? You can havem all there are thousands.

I'll have a looksie in the morning

Napper :lol:

Title:
Post by: Axeman on August 04, 2011, 09:49:53 AM

Thanks !

Be careful...some of the species that live in the acorns are really fast movers and will be crawling up your arm before you finish cracking the nut open....the ones I'm interested in are slow and very tiny...seriously....you'd be hard pressed to spot them if you were standing up...that's how small they are....the easiest way to spot the slave making species is when they enslave a host species that is "red" -- most of the slave making species are black / brown.....

Title: Acorns
Post by: Napper on August 04, 2011, 11:19:25 AM

Axeman!

Is this what your talking about?

Napper

(http://outdoorontario.net/Gallery/albums/Tiny-Township/DSC_2620_1.sized.jpg)