Pine cone? Choking hazard?

[EarlsMom]

I was about to give my 14 week old squirrel a spruce pinecone to entertain herself with but snatched it back! I was afraid it might be a choking hazard. I know people peel their grapes, what about a pinecone? Is she going to choke on the parts?

[Rhapsody]

I give my squirrels pine cone all the time, at 14 weeks old they should
be old enough to handle them with out to much worry and if they are
going to be released in the future they need to learn what they can eat.

[Diggie's Friend]

They are fine off the tree; yet off the ground they can have fungal contamination.

Our girls wuold rip the brachs right off in succession after turning the cone upside down, even when there were few seeds left. They are a good support to wear down their teeth and keep them happy during the fall when they would normally be burying nuts. Busy paws are most often happy paws.

[dextersmom]

In my neck of the woods our pine cones are sticky. I never gave mine any out of fear they would get ill. Maybe I was wrong,but I will stick to healthy choices while I have them.

[Diggie's Friend]

Yes, if there is sticky sap on them they shouldn't be given to tree squirrels.:grin2

[BCChins]

Can you place them on a tray and let them dry for several days if they are sticky?

[dextersmom]

Its not worth the chance. They eat quite healthy,I wont even give them nuts as a treat..They Love their Henrys block,they get them twice a day. They love their puppy milk,they love their lettuce,mushrooms,Brussels sprouts,avocados,cauliflower,and broccoli,and for a treat everyday they love their piece of fruit. So why would I take a chance?

[SammysMom]

Mine will take your hand off for a goid, sticky, green cone. They pull off each "petal" to get the seeds. Huge mess around and in the cage, but hours of fun and entertainment!

[Loudhouse2]

You can bake the cone. That’s what I do. It removes the sticky sap and any left on is clear hard and shiny. Bake for an hour at 250 on tin foil. If there’s still sap put new foil down and bake again. Your house will smell wonderful afterwards too!!

[muggsy'sgm]

How the heck do you get a fresh pine cone...right off the tree? We are in North FL, and all of the pine cones are 20-50ft up in the trees! We have long leaf pine and slash pine in our yard.

I think my hubby has a metal thing on the end of a rope...for pulling down dead tree limbs (sorry...I have no idea the tree-cutting-pruning vernacular!). Maybe if I swing it enough, I can catapult it into one of those branches...
(video to come...LOL)

Seriously...how do Y'ALL get pine cones that AREN'T already on the ground?!

[EarlsMom]

>>How the heck do you get a fresh pine cone...right off the tree?
I don't know about where you live, but the cones near me started falling off the trees Sept/Octoberish (mine were spruce). How about putting a tarp down and collecting only the freshly fallen ones, especially before a good wind storm.

Since this post, I have continued doling out cones I collected back in October. I keep them dry and aired out so they don't mold. They did eventually open and drop most of their seeds (which I also kept). Gearl still likes shredding the cones for entertainment and frequent seed reward! It's a mess for sure!! 296703

[muggsy'sgm]

Good idea with the tarp under the tree. And yes...our pine cones have been falling for a couple of months now. I can still see dozens of them...but they are dozens of feet up!

If they are freshly dropped, yet on the ground...I wonder if I bake them like people bake dirt...will it kill yuckies...?

[Diggie's Friend]

https://wiki.bugwood.org/uploads/AflatoxinsAflatoxicosis-StoredGrain.pdf

http://extension.missouri.edu/p/G4155

http://www.uvhvvr.gov.si/fileadmin/uvhvvr.gov.si/pageuploads/DELOVNA_PODROCJA/Zivila/onesnazevala/CAC-RCP_59-2005.pdf

Good example of how contamination happens, that is when the shell of a seed, or nuts is compromised.


Pistachio nuts are exposed to airborne fungal spores while in the field, during harvesting and/or processing. When the nuts are still on the tree, sometimes the outer hull splits when the shell splits open (early-splits) and sometimes the hull is damaged by wind, insects or other pests. If insects or other pest damages the nut shell, then conditions exist for Aspergillus spores to invade and grow on the inner kernel and potentially produce aflatoxins.

What these article relate is that heating (baking or boiling) will kill the fungus. Another article noted the fungus is destroyed at 212 F I read, but not destroy the toxins they produce.

With nuts, nut weevils eggs laid nuts while they are yet green, when hatched into larva, eat the nut inside the shell. When they are ready to emerge they bore their way out leaving visable holes. It is through these holes, or cracks caused even while they are still of the trees, that moisture and fungal spors enter. All cracked nuts, or thoses with hole(s) should be disposed off. All debris below nut, and pine trees removed, as depris supports fungus. All nuts should be opened and shelled before feeding them to a squirrel.

Fungal spors are larger than bacteria and can be seen under a lower magnifcation under a microscope. The fungus generally can be seen with a magnifying glass, also visable to the naked eye if growth is advanced.

http://www.uvhvvr.gov.si/fileadmin/uvhvvr.gov.si/pageuploads/DELOVNA_PODROCJA/Zivila/onesnazevala/CAC-RCP_59-2005.pdf