Acorns

[kshotton45]

Just looking at our Oak trees and remembering the bumper crops of acorns we had last year. I only had 1 direct hit on the head that year, but many body hits and loads of near misses. The roof of the shed played a tune when they started to fall !
I think mother nature has tipped the balance this year. This years crop appears to be down by more than half.
Is this the case in your area ?

Keith.

[buzfuz8149]

Not even half what we had last year, plus plenty have been host to the knopper gall wasp.

[naturelover]

funny you should say that,i was walking up my road only yesterday and the oak trees in peoples gardens ( these are very old trees ) but they had stacks of acorns last year,this year not many atall could it be all that rain we had,perhaps they rotted.

[mrs fish]

The oaks are having a bit of rest this year along with the ash.
Last year was an exception wasn't it !

I saw a squirrell yesterday with an acorn and did think the jays and squirrells are going to be fighting over them this year

[jennyb]

Afer a bumper crop last year (which kept the squirrels away from the bird feeders), there are hardly any this year. Many of this years crop seem to have galls.

Jenny

[aeshna5]

I've seen some with a fair number of acorns. At another site there were huge numbers of Knopper Galls instead!

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

There are tons on my tree this year....but last year was very lean. Do you think it is based on climatic differences or just how healthy the tree is at that time of year?

[Ukwildlifeo]

I saw a tree today and all I saw was galls, not a single acorn. And all I've really seen on the ground is galls, except a few acorns in places away from the 'galled up' areas

[goosey]

I am not very sure about galls, I have seen photos here of frilly looking flowers on rose bushes which are galls. I also had a great explanation from Dogghound of what they are etc - and he mentioned oaks. These oak ones, are they on the actual tree bark, grow on the acorn cups or leaves?
I saw these yesterday and was unsure if they were galls or fungi?

[Deer Stalker]

Hi Goosey.

Those are Spangle galls caused by the Gall Wasp Neuroterus quercusbaccarum. The wasps that hatch from these in spring are all parthenogenetic females (they produce offspring without mating). They lay their eggs in Oak catkins which induce Currant galls on the catkins. The sexual generation (male & female wasps) emerge from these, mate, & lay eggs on the leaves, which produce Spangle galls again.

There are many different Gall Wasps on Oak, all producing different galls usually on the buds & leaves. Ones that look like they take the place of the acorns are Knopper, Marble & Artichoke Galls to name but a few.