Mystery solved: that’s why you see so many acorns in Zoetermeer this fall

You may have already noticed during a walk through the Noord Aa area or in streets with oak trees, such as the Osylaan: a lot of acorns have fallen. They also seem extra large this year. How about that?

You have to be careful when you walk under an oak tree. There is a good chance that you will get a number of acorns on your head. Your car can also get hefty dents due to the falling fruits. For example, bodyshops are seeing an increase in the number of claims, reports RTL News.

Mast year

Is there a logical explanation for this phenomenon? Yes! A year in which many acorns fall is also called a mast year. “That is a year in which trees (beech, oak and chestnut) bear a lot of fruit,” an employee of Staatsbosbeheer told indebuurt.

Changing weather conditions

“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.” That explains why you see or feel a lot of big acorns on your head.

happy animals

Not nice for you when such an acorn patters on your head, but it’s good news for animals. For example, ducks and birds, such as finches, eat themselves full of it. As soon as the fruits are flattened by cars, the birds like to eat them.

Curious where oak trees are located in Zoetermeer? Then check here the tree map within our municipality.