Crabapples and the berries

[TamiKakes]

Are crabapples and the fruit/berries produced okay for squirrels? I am looking to only put foods found outside that after I release Ashlie she will have access to. I know in the wild, mom will stear babies away from toxic plants/foods, and being with me, she will "trust" the foods I supply to be safe.

[Chirps]

We have a crabapple tree but it's currently almost swallowed by those invasive porcelainberry vines or whatever they are. (I call them keptabora berries like that Gilligan's Island episode.) This invasive is really getting out of hand in this area, really taking over and changing whole sections of woods by just swallowing up the trees. But I digress. . .

Mom planted this tree many years ago. At the time we had few if any squirrels because we had few trees. Now lots of trees, lots of squirrels. But the invasive has taken over the tree so badly in recent years the squirrels would have a hard time getting to the apples even if they wanted to eat them.

This article has some info.

https://www.grandrapidsmn.com/opinion/columnists/ornamental-versus-edible-crabapples/article_63d864ac-d16a-11e3-9f57-0019bb2963f4.html

Even the ones he calls "inedible" he does so because of taste, not toxicity. I don't know what kind we have. They are ripening now. Must taste them. And put some where the squirrels will see them and see what they do with them. . .

[Chirps]

I was going to edit but don't know how. The apples that have fallen on the driveway get nibbled, but since the cat likes to lounge right there the critters don't get much chance to forage there. I tried one. Kind of like a Winesap on steroids. Strong, tart taste. Actually not too bad I guess. I picked several and put them on top of one of the big animal cages where I put treats for the birds and squirrels sometimes. By the time I got out there next day they were gone except for one or two cores. Not sure who took them though. The cores were likely left by squirrels based on the bite marks so it seems they ate them. I offered one to a tame-ish mother who has been taking pecans from my hand. She grabbed as many as she could fit in her mouth then seemed to realize they weren't pecans and spat them out. But I don't know if she WON'T eat them or just didn't want any at that time. For all I know she got most of the ones I put out before.

Today I put more on the "treat table" and later I saw pieces bitten out of one. But can't tell if they WON'T eat them or just didn't like them or want them at that time.

[Diggie's Friend]

Good to hear the crabapples were accepted.

Squirrels like tart fruits; yet when having been given nuts, not tart tree fruits or berries, they are an acquired taste that takes time to instill.

As long as there has been no sprays (herbicides, pesticides, etc.) used on the trees or near them, the apples should be fine to feed.

Think small portion, about (1/2 Tsp. daily).

Apples are a good source of fiber (pectin) and fructose.

Both pectin and fructose (in naturally lower concentrations in fresh tree fruits) increase the absorption of calcium into the bloodstream.

[Diggie's Friend]

https://aprilseverydayblog.wordpress.com/2012/08/15/crab-apples-for-the-squirrels/


I would always remember the squirrel that ate the crab apple tree and taught me something about nature. I find the tree to be useless. But God created this tree to bear fruit. And although the fruit is virtually useless to me, it does serve a purpose and helps feed the little critters lingering around my backyard.

Numing it right down! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWCkeFjD5L8

Like other N.A. apples, crabapples ripen after the first frost.

http://www.landscape-america.com/landscapes/trees/crabapple_q_a.html