Who would have thought it............

bswiv · September 5, 2011, 08:14 PM

While our drought has been mitigated some it's not that long ago that it seemed the whole state of Florida was buring......just like the poor folks in Texas are experencing now.

It has been so dry that here in the NE part of the state the mosquitos are hardly evedent in the woods.

With that being the case it struck me as a odd, but good, thing that up on the sand ridge area of our lease the sand oaks are hard at it. Took a picture of this little one because he makes the point. I'll bet he was not 3 feet tall.....and look at the acorns. Lots more like him.

Just would not have figured it with the dry spring/summer we've had.

Doyle · September 6, 2011, 08:36 AM

I doubt if we'll get many acorns this year down south. Last year was such a bumper crop that it didn't do us any good to keep corn in the feeders. The deer and hogs had enough acorns that all the corn did was feed coons. Since acorns tend to run in cycles, I'm thinking this will be a poor production year. Good to see that your lease will have plenty.

Gunplummer · September 6, 2011, 10:49 AM

Yes, that is right. Most oak trees have a major crop only every 3 years. Wet and dry years only seems to affect the size of the acorns. Up here a late frost in the spring will kill the flowers and that ruined our acorn crop from time to time.

rickyrick · September 6, 2011, 11:47 AM

Here in Texas, at least where I live, we have had no mosquitoes this year, and alot of other insects are AWOL. I had a garden that nothing polinated in.
I hear that alot of the irrigated cotton didn't polinate.

I see dunes forming in the area especially in the burned areas. It's pretty scary, I can only imagine what the dust-bowl was like.

I have also seen reports of entire prairie dog colonies dying off.

no fire ants this year either, and who knows what else...

JohnAL · September 6, 2011, 09:38 PM

The fire ants are just hiding deep. My yard exploded with mounds as soon as we got some rain.

FrankenMauser · September 7, 2011, 01:24 AM

When civilizations drain aquifers (or cut off their natural water supplies), the land above them dries out.

Combine that issue with a lack of rain, and you get some pretty nasty droughts...
(The Dust Bowl had multiple causes -- most issues were induced by humans.)

September 5, 2011, 08:14 PM	#1
bswiv Senior Member Join Date: June 4, 2006 Posts: 1,031	Who would have thought it............ While our drought has been mitigated some it's not that long ago that it seemed the whole state of Florida was buring......just like the poor folks in Texas are experencing now. It has been so dry that here in the NE part of the state the mosquitos are hardly evedent in the woods. With that being the case it struck me as a odd, but good, thing that up on the sand ridge area of our lease the sand oaks are hard at it. Took a picture of this little one because he makes the point. I'll bet he was not 3 feet tall.....and look at the acorns. Lots more like him. Just would not have figured it with the dry spring/summer we've had.

September 6, 2011, 11:47 AM	#4
rickyrick Senior Member Join Date: March 15, 2010 Location: Mesquite Jungle Desert, West Texas, USA Posts: 2,278	Here in Texas, at least where I live, we have had no mosquitoes this year, and alot of other insects are AWOL. I had a garden that nothing polinated in. I hear that alot of the irrigated cotton didn't polinate. I see dunes forming in the area especially in the burned areas. It's pretty scary, I can only imagine what the dust-bowl was like. I have also seen reports of entire prairie dog colonies dying off. no fire ants this year either, and who knows what else... __________________ *Navin R. Johnson*: "He hates these cans!!!! Stay away from the cans!!!!"

September 7, 2011, 01:24 AM	#6
FrankenMauser Senior Member Join Date: August 26, 2008 Location: 1B ID Posts: 5,399	When civilizations drain aquifers (or cut off their natural water supplies), the land above them dries out. Combine that issue with a lack of rain, and you get some pretty nasty droughts... (The Dust Bowl had multiple causes -- most issues were induced by humans.) __________________ "Such is the strange way that man works -- first he virtually destroys a species and then does everything in his power to restore it."

September 6, 2011, 08:36 AM	#2
Doyle Senior Member Join Date: June 20, 2007 Location: Bradenton, Fl Posts: 4,129	I doubt if we'll get many acorns this year down south. Last year was such a bumper crop that it didn't do us any good to keep corn in the feeders. The deer and hogs had enough acorns that all the corn did was feed coons. Since acorns tend to run in cycles, I'm thinking this will be a poor production year. Good to see that your lease will have plenty.

September 6, 2011, 10:49 AM	#3
Gunplummer Senior Member Join Date: March 11, 2010 Location: South East Pa. Posts: 1,084	Yes, that is right. Most oak trees have a major crop only every 3 years. Wet and dry years only seems to affect the size of the acorns. Up here a late frost in the spring will kill the flowers and that ruined our acorn crop from time to time.

September 6, 2011, 09:38 PM	#5
JohnAL Member Join Date: August 19, 2011 Location: Lower Alabama Posts: 28	The fire ants are just hiding deep. My yard exploded with mounds as soon as we got some rain.