Squirrels cutting limbs

[Dutch]

There are several gray squirrels in our neighborhood.  They pass back and forth across our backyard all day long.  There is a large black oak on the back property line.  There is an abundance on acorns on the ground.  For the last week or so I have noticed branch ends containing several leaves laying on the ground.  I thought maybe wind was blowing them off until I picked one up and saw where it had been chewed off.  I’ve never seen this phenomenon before.  Any of you guys have knowledge about this topic?

[BilletHead]

13 minutes ago, Dutch said:

There are several gray squirrels in our neighborhood.  They pass back and forth across our backyard all day long.  There is a large black oak on the back property line.  There is an abundance on acorns on the ground.  For the last week or so I have noticed branch ends containing several leaves laying on the ground.  I thought maybe wind was blowing them off until I picked one up and saw where it had been chewed off.  I’ve never seen this phenomenon before.  Any of you guys have knowledge about this topic?

   Interesting. Seen it once before. Don't know either. I do know that they eat buds in late winter and spring when things are bleak.

[BilletHead]

https://www.backyardpests.com/are-squirrels-harmful-to-trees/

 

 Here you go Dutch.

[Dutch]

Thanks Marty.  That makes sense.  I remember reading about caged rats that were only given soft food.  The teeth growth was astounding and resulted in their demise du to brain injury.

[BilletHead]

1 hour ago, Dutch said:

Thanks Marty.  That makes sense.  I remember reading about caged rats that were only given soft food.  The teeth growth was astounding and resulted in their demise du to brain injury.

Correct! Always see squirrel on asphalt roads working on their teeth. 

[netboy]

Here's a squirrel story that happened to me last week. 

A few weeks ago I started hearing something rattling around inside my tailgate on the truck when I opened it. It got worse so I thought maybe some part of the opening/locking mechanism had come loose. I removed the tailgate and when we shook it, out comes an acorn. We continued shaking it and finally got a couple dozen acorns out. Somehow a squirrel figured out how to reach up in the small space between the bed and the tailgate and stuff the acorns in a 2 inch opening on the bottom of the tailgate.  I put some duct tape over the opening and that solved the problem

[Dutch]

The little tree rats are hoping all over the yard.  They are not digging holes and burying acorns.  It actually appears that they are eating something.  We have an abundance of katydids this year.  Do they eat them? 

[moguy1973]

My dad hates squirrels. He has several pin oaks in his backyard and they get little burls on the branches.  The squirrels chew through the branches to knock the burls to the ground to take away to eat.  He picks up 30-40 branches daily in his small yard. 

[nomolites]

10 minutes ago, moguy1973 said:

My dad hates squirrels. He has several pin oaks in his backyard and they get little burls on the branches.  The squirrels chew through the branches to knock the burls to the ground to take away to eat.  He picks up 30-40 branches daily in his small yard. 

Those burls are bad news…we are losing mature pin oaks in droves in my area due wasp infestation - watching another come down a few houses down today.  Hope your Dad’s trees can fight it off - some can and some can’t.

Mike

[snagged in outlet 3]

5 hours ago, Dutch said:

There are several gray squirrels in our neighborhood.  They pass back and forth across our backyard all day long.  There is a large black oak on the back property line.  There is an abundance on acorns on the ground.  For the last week or so I have noticed branch ends containing several leaves laying on the ground.  I thought maybe wind was blowing them off until I picked one up and saw where it had been chewed off.  I’ve never seen this phenomenon before.  Any of you guys have knowledge about this topic?

I bet it’s a twig girdler.  Look at the branch to see if it’s beveled.  I have them. 
 

https://extension.missouri.edu/publications/g7276