Post-season tap hole contents

[Jebediah]

In the summer I was looking at tap holes to see how they were healing up, and noticed that a large number of them had a resident slug. Evidently a tap hole is an ideal size for a slug home. Today I found some tap holes still not healed up for some reason, and learned that they're also ideal size for storing acorns. Several holes had acorns jammed into them, I assume by a resourceful squirrel. Would be interested if anybody else has found unexpected things in tap holes.

[maple flats]

How big are your tap holes and how small are your acorns. I've never seen anything like that in mine. I do occasionally find a bug made a home but even that is very rare.

[Jebediah]

Regular-size holes, quite small acorns jammed in there. Pretty difficult to remove, come to think of it. Maybe squirrel not the genius I thought he was.

[Drew Pond Maple]

Are you drilling a 15/16" hole? Maybe the tree is hollow and the squirrel calls it his home

[BreezyHill]

I heard of this once before but the person was using 3/4" hose barb to hose barb fittings for taps since he had loads of them for free. After he learned why the 5/16 hole or 1/4 hole is used for tapping he promptly switch.

My holes are all well sealed that I have seen, even on old trees that are often slower to heal.

Perplexing find!

[jmayerl]

I have never seen a acorn small enough to fit in a 5/16" hole.

[Jebediah]

Standard holes, 5/16. Good point, I wonder if some other type of nut. Woods are primarily maple, pine, oak, but probably not exclusively.

[maple flats]

It is possible pine huts are in there. They are the seeds under the scales of a pine cone, but I've never seen anything except a healed hole this time of year.

[Jebediah]

I did some looking and I think they're white oak acorns, which are apparently somewhat elongated, versus red oak acorn, which is more round. Really just guessing, they are shoved in holes, can't see much, and they have decayed somewhat.

Regarding unhealed holes, these few trees are odd, show no signs of healing (even prior to nut insertion...), yet appeared healthy overall throughout summer/fall. They are not good sap producers.