The six oak trees that originally surrounded my parents house graced us with a metric tonne of leaves that DID NOT want to decay, and formed a acid mess if after a decade in the leaf pile a few did break down, rolling tumbleweeds of the Oak ‘flowers’ in the spring, and covered the yard with natures answer to ball bearings in the fall with acorns. We had happy squirrels.
We did, too. Now we have confused squirrels looking for the acorns that always used to be there.
When I took my screens in to be fixed yesterday (the only significant damage from this whole thing, Thank Og), I saw an interesting device you might want if you’re vexed by a carpet of acorns. It’s a ball on the end of a roller, looking like one of those toddler toys. But the “ball” is actually wire cage made of a series of wire arcs joined at each end of the axle. As you roll it along on the ground the acorns spread the wire arcs apart and enter the ball, where they get trapped when the wires snap back together again.
We sold the house a decade ago, and the new Mothership no longer has any trees within striking distance since the tall pines across the street were culled by the mandated retention pond. Tallest thing near the house is a volunteer yew thing that grew up in the middle of an azalea.