Squirrels "trimming" oak trees

[Mendonsy]

We have several large red oak trees and of course it is now acorn season. This year I noticed a lot of branch tips about a foot long lying on the ground under the oaks.
I have noticed over the past couple of days that (at least) two squirrels are climbing the trees and snipping off the last foot or so of each branch. They then climb down and collect up the acorns that fell with the branch.
I suppose this has probably been happening before, but I never noticed it and it certainly wasn't this bad in the past. Here's a pic of the branches that ended up in my driveway in just the past 24 hours.

 

[k0ua]

We have several large red oak trees and of course it is now acorn season. This year I noticed a lot of branch tips about a foot long lying on the ground under the oaks.
I have noticed over the past couple of days that (at least) two squirrels are climbing the trees and snipping off the last foot or so of each branch. They then climb down and collect up the acorns that fell with the branch.
I suppose this has probably been happening before, but I never noticed it and it certainly wasn't this bad in the past. Here's a pic of the branches that ended up in my driveway in just the past 24 hours.
View attachment 483589

Yeah, they do it to our cedar trees too for some reason. They cut off the small tips of the "leaves" as much as cedar trees have leaves. I am not sure why they do this. It makes a mess.

 

[Bird]

Does that mean we should expect an unusually cold or long winter? Squirrels regularly visit our bird feeders, bird bath, and live oak tree, but I've never seen anything like what you have.

 

[k0ua]

Does that mean we should expect an unusually cold or long winter? Squirrels regularly visit our bird feeders, bird bath, and live oak tree, but I've never seen anything like what you have.

Bird, they do it here every year. I just don't know why.

 

[Thomas]

Our white oak trees have taken hard hit this year compare to most years,I got feeling those lawn rats are eye balling red oak trees as I write this.

 

[Old Guy in Tenn]

They have dropped branches with acorns like this forever at our place in SE Michigan. The upside is that the leaves are like parachutes, and the acorns don't hurt when then hit your head.

 

[Mendonsy]

I wonder if the really dry summer we have had this year has something to do with it? We are about 6" below normal on rainfall for the year.
Maybe the branches are weaker than normal this year so the squirrels can't get all the way to the end??

 

[treefarmerguy]

Porcupines do the same thing.

 

[rekees4300]

I have noticed over the past couple of days that (at least) two squirrels are climbing the trees and snipping off the last foot or so of each branch. They then climb down and collect up the acorns that fell with the branch.

Same phenomenon here. I think they do it because the branches containing the acorns are too thin to support them?

 

[Egon]

Same phenomenon here. I think they do it because the branches containing the acorns are too thin to support them?

You just may have the answere.