Where Did All the Acorns Go?

Posted by Alex in Paranormal, Science & Tech on December 1, 2008 at 12:37 am


First it was the bees. Then, something strange is happening to acorns: this year, there are no acorns in

"I’m used to seeing so many acorns around and out in the field, it’s something I just didn’t believe," he said. "But this is not just not a good year for oaks. It’s a zero year. There’s zero production. I’ve never seen anything like this before."

The absence of acorns could have something to do with the weather, Simmons thought. But he hoped it wasn’t a climatic event. "Let’s hope it’s not something ghastly going on with the natural world."

To find out, Simmons and Arlington naturalists began calling around. A naturalist in Maryland found no acorns on an Audubon nature walk there. Ditto for Fairfax, Falls Church, Charles County, even as far away as Pennsylvania. There are no acorns falling from the majestic oaks in Arlington National Cemetery.

"Once I started paying attention, I couldn’t find any acorns anywhere. Not from white oaks, red oaks or black oaks, and this was supposed to be their big year," said Greg Zell, a naturalist at Long Branch Nature Center in Arlington. "We’re talking zero. Not a single acorn. It’s really bizarre."

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32 comments to "Where Did All the Acorns Go?"

  1. Pooja
    December 1st, 2008 at 12:50 am

    There's acorns in Lubbock!

  2. Becca
    December 1st, 2008 at 12:51 am

    that's really terrifying.

  3. raina_c
    December 1st, 2008 at 1:07 am

    We are doomed.

  4. SenorMysterioso
    December 1st, 2008 at 1:18 am

    hmm, my campus is blanketed with acorns

  5. Justin Lynes
    December 1st, 2008 at 4:51 am

    They haven't looking in the intake vents of my car... unfortunatly full of them from parking my car under an oak at my parents' house.

  6. Evilbeagle
    December 1st, 2008 at 5:13 am

    Scrat got greedy.

  7. K!P
    December 1st, 2008 at 5:16 am

    lots of acorns here :)

  8. Robolasse
    December 1st, 2008 at 8:17 am

    Nature: "Listen guys, we are not getting along, so i decided to pack it in. Bye bye, and take care".

  9. zav
    December 1st, 2008 at 8:48 am

    Oak trees cycle the years when they do and don't produce acorns.

  10. Jenna
    December 1st, 2008 at 9:01 am

    pfft
    they're all in my driveway apparently
    (Tallahassee, FL)

  11. HollywoodBob
    December 1st, 2008 at 9:53 am

    They can have all the ones in my yard.

    Maybe there's an abundance of squirrels and they've already gotten to all the acorns.

  12. Alana
    December 1st, 2008 at 12:04 pm

    There aren't any oak trees near me, so I can't tell you about Scotland. But I know I saw acorns a couple months ago in Minneapolis.

  13. Lars
    December 1st, 2008 at 12:19 pm

    For what it's worth, we have plenty of acorns on the West Coast right now.

  14. Gle3nn
    December 1st, 2008 at 12:45 pm

    I have an oak tree in my yard that has produced so many acorns that after I raked up a giant pile, I decided to put them into their own can to see how much the tree would produce this year. I have already filled a 45 gallon can and more fall everyday.

  15. Gail Pink
    December 1st, 2008 at 2:04 pm

    Shouldn't that be either
    "Where have all the acorns GONE"?
    Or
    "Where did all the acorns GO"?

  16. Alex
    December 1st, 2008 at 3:31 pm

    Oops - you're right Gail Pink. I meant to say where have all the acorns gone, but obviously didn't type that in.

  17. Kevin
    December 1st, 2008 at 5:29 pm

    Got plenty of acorns in Spartanburg SC. Can't find the global warming though...

  18. Scooter
    December 1st, 2008 at 5:33 pm

    My mother was complaining about this on Thanksgiving. personally i'm not worried about the fat squirrels that steal from her bird feeders.

  19. JaneM
    December 1st, 2008 at 6:00 pm

    They are wqelcome to the tons of acorns in my yard ln Denville, NJ!!

  20. bekajedi
    December 1st, 2008 at 6:59 pm

    We have plenty in Wisconsin! Hmmm maybe I can make a quick buck exporting acorns....

  21. E. Murphy
    December 1st, 2008 at 7:39 pm

    We had acorns in San Jose, CA. Tons. On our tiny little baby tree.

  22. Elagie
    December 1st, 2008 at 7:54 pm

    Funny, now that I think about it, it doesn't seem like there were many in my yard this year (in Connecticut) -- there have been years that they fell like rain (we live on a large lot full of oak trees.) And, for the first year, squirrels did consume our Halloween pumpkin.

  23. Evilbeagle
    December 1st, 2008 at 7:54 pm

    I'm sure it's nothing to be alarmed about.

  24. mother theresa
    December 1st, 2008 at 9:09 pm

    All over the place here in Washington & Oregon states. Tons.
    A few hail marys should do it. Except that Maryland was an RCC
    haven, which explains why they their hail marys are no good.

  25. judebach
    December 1st, 2008 at 10:02 pm

    you could rollerskate in my yard without the skates!
    louisiana

  26. TwoDragons
    December 1st, 2008 at 10:09 pm

    Plenty of acorns in Marble Falls, TX!

    --TwoDragons

  27. Amberae
    December 2nd, 2008 at 2:01 am

    there are acorns everywhere here. no rain though.

  28. BrendaK
    December 4th, 2008 at 2:36 am

    It is interesting to me that everytime this is reported there is never anyone, or very few anyway, who actually say that they agree and that there are no acorns where they live also. I wonder why that would be. Anyway, I will say there are no acorns in Cleveland, Ohio. First time in my life. No acorns. It has been reported that there are no acorns in New England, Nova Scotia, New York, Virginia, Washington DC, Oregon, Kansas. Some guy in Germany said there were no acorns there either. I can only say with certainty that there are no acorns here in Cleveland.

  29. BrendaK
    December 4th, 2008 at 2:39 am

    To the person reporting on the entire west coast, it has been reported that there are no acorns in Oregon.

  30. BrendaK
    December 4th, 2008 at 2:42 am

    My personal belief is that there are no acorns anywhere in the country and that the people who claim that there are acorns where they live are shills and liars. You won't convince me otherwise.

  31. Johnny H
    December 5th, 2008 at 6:11 pm

    Have a monster white oak in my yard and not a single acorn. Can't remember this ever happening before. Guess I had better put out something for the squirels.

    Fort Washington, Md.

  32. Lynetta M
    December 9th, 2008 at 1:34 pm

    We also have had bushels of acorns for the past several years here in Maryland, but now, without warning, not a single one! Quite alarming in view of the lack of bees. We had more spraying this past year for gypsy moths. Other than that, I can't think of anything different. No drought - although I think we have had droughts - at least small ones - in the previous 2-3 years. I don't think I've seen any oak sprouts anywhere either. The hungry squirrels must have dug all of them up.


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