This Is Nuts! Why Are There So Many Acorns In New York This Year?

It's that time of the year when I have to be careful when sitting outside my camper. I have Oak Trees all around the camper, and what do those types of trees contain? Acorns, of course.

And what do squirrels love? Acorns. They are stocking up for the winter. So, as I am lounging by the campfire around a few Oak Trees, I occasionally get pelted with acorns that squirrels drop from the trees.

By the way, those falling acorns make a loud noise whenever they hit the ground, or my firepit, chairs, picnic table, etc. In the 15 years I have camped in this particular campground, I have never noticed so many acorns on the ground. Why is that?

Well, according to the New York Botanical Garden website, Oak Trees have irregular cycles of boom and bust, noting that boom times occur every two to five years. Those years are called 'mast years.'

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The NYBG says that it is a mystery why and how the cycles occur. Some may say a boom crop of acorns means it will be a harsh winter, but scientists say there is no proof of that. Even weather conditions are not a factor in the boom and bust cycles.

A mast year, according to the New York Botanical Garden Scientists could possibly be anything from environmental triggers to chemical signaling to pollen availability. Scientists just don't know for sure.

All those acorns may be good for wildlife like squirrels, deer, bears, mice, blue jays, and turkeys to name a few, the NYBG notes that a mast year producing more acorns than normal may mean deer and mice, and could lead to more ticks which could translate to more Lyme Disease.

Oh yeah, they are not fun to step on either. My Greyhounds concur when I take them out to do, well, you know what.