Why are there so many acorns in Massachusetts this year?
BOSTON -- Acorns are falling with fury in New England this year. Residents may have heard a few pelt a car or watched as someone got hit in the head. WBZ-TV asked biologists, what is going on this year with all of these acorns?
Mass Wildlife calls it a potential masting year. Some years oak trees will drop all of their acorns together at the same time. It's an evolutionary process that works to overwhelm predators by covering the ground with acorns. The hope is that some survive becoming food if they all fall at once.
"It's definitely an inexact science. There are a lot of tree biologists that work on these issues," said Martin Feehan, Mass Wildlife Deer and Moose Biologist. "What we do know is there was not a masting year last year, so there is a high probability it will be this year."
Feehan says typically they can assess if there is a masting year by looking at the deer harvest. Since last year was extremely dry, many of the oaks went dormant. This fact, coupled with the wet summer, could lead to a masting year.
"There is a lot of varying that comes with masting, even from simple years," said Feehan. "You definitely can have mast in dry years and wet years."
All of the acorns falling has people ducking for cover, especially walkers like April Mograss.
"I was walking a week ago on the other side, and as I was walking an acorn hit me on the top of my head," said Mograss. "More surprising than hurtful. Of course, I don't have a conk on my head or anything, but I wouldn't be surprised if I get one today."
Her walking partner, Aldane Edwards, spotted her car getting pelted one morning.
"I have heard them early on top of my car bang, bang, bang," said Edwards. "At first I was like, 'what is that?' Then I got out and saw all of the acorns everywhere."
Feehan says some people are reporting more acorns this year, but it will take time to determine if it is indeed a masting year.
