Green nut shells

[Snicker Bar]

I’ve been gathering slot of hickory and pecan nuts from the ground , but the shells are still greeninsh . Are they safe to feed like this, or eould they even taste good? Or do they have to be left outside or in a window sill to allow them to properly ripen, I suppose like a fruit or tomato? Or just put in cool dark place

[Diggie's Friend]

That is unsure, for nut weevils bore into these nuts while they are still green to lay their eggs in them. If when you open them there are no larva, and no damage to the nut, with no evidence of mold or webs, they should be fine. What is the safest route for feeding these would be to boil them for 2 minutes in the shell. After drying, open them up and soak the seeds in organic low fat Kefir, as the probiotic (good bacteria) support the degrading of the calcium robbing anti-nutrients that they contain. The next morning rinse them well and pat them dry; then place them on a wax sheet in the oven at 180 for about 15 min. Place the dried pieces into a vacuum sealed bag, and store these in a dry cool place (not the fridge of freezer) for use for up to 3 months. Check to see if they are still good as u feed them as not to have gone stale.

Another support for nuts is including a drop of Milk Thistle Seed extract daily with the meal. This source is anti Alfa toxin as it helps to protect the liver from toxins

https://www.amazon.com/Oregons-Wild-Harvest-Thistle-Supplement/dp/B00J9MKEUG/ref=sr_1_fkmr2_2_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1535509749&sr=8-2-fkmr2&keywords=milk+thistle++wild+harvest+liquid

[SammysMom]

I think mine see bugs in the nuts as the prize in their crackerjacks box.:grin3

[stepnstone]

I think mine see bugs in the nuts as the prize in their crackerjacks box.:grin3

http://www.sherv.net/cm/emo/laughing/smiley.gifhttp://www.sherv.net/cm/emoticons/hand-gestures/gimme-five-smiley-emoticon.gif

[Snicker Bar]

Thanks D. Friend , I may just buy them at the store this season I don’t want to risk any chances for illness or digestive problems . Just happened upon s good tree out riding in the woods, the ground is covered. My neighbor also has a pecan tree and her little girl loves to “sell” me bags ( usually 50% rotten) nuts for 50 cents.. I just smile and pay, bless her.

Lol I needed a laugh this morning Sammy’s Mom :) Still struggling here

[Diggie's Friend]

It's true, squirrels may eat the larva, but it isn't the larva but rather the fungus/mold that is toxic.

Taking the time to do these preparation measures with nuts has been the protocol in my squirrel diet for many years.

The one who's squirrel it is wouldn't have it any other way; their squirrel likes it too!

Some years ago we found that the squirrel wasn't fond of live grub-worms refusing to eat them, which it quickly dispatched.

So a fresh killed worm was placed into the yogurt; but the squirrel wasn't fooled, grabbing it up with the yogurt it flung it all over the place making a big mess!

So dried mealworms from Camilles Vita-Mealies were tried; without hesitation the squirrel chomped these right down.

[JLM27]

I put one of those greenie guys out on the window sill and one of my guys neatly bit a little hole in it, evidently found it unsatisfactory---proabably unripe---and put it down for me to find. ("Dumb Human")

[Snicker Bar]

They must taste yucky ( bitter?) ; many I looked st were partially gnaws and left on the ground unfinished.

I’ll have to try the dried meal worms... That first live batch I ordered from Camille’s lasted so long! I transferred them to a large plastic container and added oatmeal to them stuff they came with. And fed pieces of veggies;now by accident I’ve created a habitat for complete life cycle of the things ( I guess?) The mealworms morphed into these grub looking things, then a pupae thing, then tons of black Beatles , and now flies ...Not sure of the order but definitely a metamorphosis thing going on in this tub. The Teenies seem to have enjoyed the variety of bugs this tub has cultivated. I wonder if I don’t toss the media, if there could be a whole new generation (eggs?) of mealworms to come?? Who knows, may observe for awhile but ordering again . They want more now ...

[Diggie's Friend]

The super meal worms are noted on the website to be a better buy.

Cutting off the head off to remove the pincers was needful for this one squirrel, that didn't like them even so dried.

Get the smallest package at least at first, just to make sure that the dead worms will be accepted.

You don't want to overfeed these as they're high in phosphorus, and can be fattening if too many are fed.