High temperatures and more mosquitoes: this is the influence of the warm weather in Zoetermeer

Extra large acorns

You will find extra large acorns in various places in Zoetermeer, which is due to the warm autumn weather. So be careful when you walk under an oak tree!

Mast year

Why are there big acorns? In 2022 Zoetermeer will have to deal with a so-called mast year. An employee of Staatsbosbeheer said about this earlier: “Due to the warm and dry summer of this year, the trees bear a lot of fruit and are growing strongly. The drought causes oaks to go into a ‘stress state’ and produce excessive fruit. But oak trees also need a lot of moisture and they got that in the past rainy weeks.” So that explains why you see (and maybe feel) a lot of big acorns.

More spiders

There is a good chance that many Zoetermeer residents are not waiting for this, but it is the case: due to the warm weather this year there are more spiders in Zoetermeer. Are you afraid of these eight-legged animals? Then make sure you install screens at home.

More mosquitoes

Speaking of animals that don’t make many Zoetermeer residents very happy… In addition to more spiders, there are also more mosquitoes in Zoetermeer than in previous years. And you guessed it: it’s because of the warm weather. Biologist Luc De Bruyn says to The morning: “Mosquitoes are cold-blooded. That is, their temperature depends on the environment. Just like us, they can only live optimally if their temperature is high enough. So as long as it stays warm, they can continue to do what they have to do: larvae survive in the water and eat bacteria there, females look for blood to lay eggs.”

Source: The morning.

Leaves fell early from the trees

This time of year is the perfect time for a walk in the woods near Zoetermeer. But one thing immediately stands out: many trees are already bare. That is different from other years.

Survival Mechanism

“The fact that trees in Zoetermeer are already losing their leaves has nothing to do with the autumn season, but with a survival mechanism,” Marcel van Dun of Staatsbosbeheer said earlier. “Trees that are already shedding their leaves are doing so in response to the drought. A lot of water evaporates through the leaves. It is precisely this water that the tree needs to survive. By repelling the leaves, more moisture remains in the tree,” says Marcel. Last year the trees also did this during the summer, but not so early in the year.