frozen acorns kill squirrels

[TubeDriver]

Unikorngirl from Squirrel Nation fed some almost ready for release squirrels some frozen acorns she had. Within 48 hours, 6 of her squirrels were dead. She broke up 4 acorns and found some type of mold growing in 2 of them.

I bring this up not as recrimination since Unikorngirl is as dedicated to and loving of squirrels as anyone but rather as a warning for all to keep in mind. Six healthy, happy babies dead in a manner of hours. What a tragic and sad accident.

[Nancy in New York]

How terribly sad. We have always been told to freeze nuts,
but this has nothing to do with freezing them, right?
Do you know if she put them in water first to check if they sink or float.
How tragic, this is just heartbreaking!

[SammysMom]

Thank-you TD. You letting us know this may save one of our babies and it gave me the chance to give my sympathies to Uni. As I said to her, though we may not have always agreed, all of us can empathize with this terrible tragedy.

[island rehabber]

How awful. Please give Uni my deepest, deepest sympathy.

It is possible that we should begin slicing frozen acorns the same way we slice frozen chestnuts, to ensure that they have not molded inside.

Losing pre-release or just-released babies this way is a tragedy that no rehabber will ever forget; all one's successes and joys are forever diminished by this one sadness. I once lost five at once to mycotoxins in their nest box; I feel Uni's pain so much...

[California Squirrel Lover]

Such incredibly sad news, I'm so, so sorry

[TubeDriver]

How terribly sad. We have always been told to freeze nuts,
but this has nothing to do with freezing them, right?
Do you know if she put them in water first to check if they sink or float.
How tragic, this is just heartbreaking!

Unikorngirl did freeze the acorns. They were fairly old (almost a year?) but had been frozen the whole time. I dont know if she tested them in water.

This mold killed them in hours, it must be very toxic and deadly.

[SammysMom]

Uni is very glad that this was shared here. She just hopes that sharing it prevents anyone else from ever having this terrible tragedy happen to their loved littles. I told her she has many prayers from TSB tonight.

[Nancy in New York]

Uni is very glad that this was shared here. She just hopes that sharing it prevents anyone else from ever having this terrible tragedy happen to their loved littles. I told her she has many prayers from TSB tonight.

Uni is still a member here!
I'm glad that somebody shared this information.
Did we share this with the rest of the board?
I would like to think when we are saving squirrels lives
anything we find out here could and would be shared on the other board as
well.
And I for one would really appreciate anything there be shared here too!
Thank You Tube Driver.
Now lets alert the board, shall we?

[SammysMom]

OMG! It never occurred to me that this was Triage! It should definitely be on the open board. Good catch Nancy!

[kastillo]

Oh my God , no, this is horrible, poor Uni.... poor Uni's baby's .... I know how much she loves them all...

I've fed frozen acorns and never had this happen.... I'm.. just at a loss.... this is tragic

[SammysMom]

Do you think it would be okay to move this thread into the open in its entirety? If so, where to?

[island rehabber]

I would put it in Emergency, and then stick the thread.

[sassysquirrel]

OMG!!! I feed frozen acorns all the time. I will definitely be cutting them open from now on.

This is so sad. So sorry this happened


What about other nuts that have been frozen? Do we need to check all nuts?
What about black walnuts or hickory nuts? you know sometimes how they are all dired up inside? Could this hurt the squirrels? Do I need to crack all nuts before giving them?

[Charley Chuckles]

There is a name for the Disease that a bad nut has...but I can't remember it right now ....I was always very leery to give CC any acorns because of it

[SugarBugFerret]

Wow. This is just so terrible! Poor Uni...she must be absolutely beside herself! I will pray for comfort and peace for her. This kind of thing just makes me wonder though... How would a wild know which are safe to eat? If they can't tell, then wouldn't we have crazy unexplained deaths occurring fairly regularly? And if they can, why do they eat the bad ones in captivity? I am surrounded by oak trees. My local squirrels eat jillions of them. Geez...I am going to start worrying about them eating acorns in my yard... RIP little squirrelies. No question in my mind that in Uni's care, you were surrounded by love.

[Charley Chuckles]

Still can't remeber what it is called (a rotten nut) but here is a point to ponder....
Have you ever felt sick after eating nuts that looked and tasted seemingly OK? Chances are that the nuts you ate were contaminated even before signs of spoilage were evident. The health effects of eating rotten nuts can be avoided by practicing good food safety methods. These will not only help to prevent spoilage but will also ensure you to enjoy the protein rich nuts cat all times. Let's do our bit and learn about the food safety of nuts by reading the blog below.






Causes Of Spoilage

Mold growth due to improper storage is a big concern.

Contamination by salmonella bacteria which makes the fatty acids rancid, is also a common cause.


Health Problems Caused By Rotten Nuts

If the nuts crack during processing, it can cause seepage of water which results in growth of salmonella bacteria. It causes nausea, vomiting, pain in the abdomen and fever. It can get quite severe in the case of children and the elderly who do not have a very strong immune system.

Aspergillus mold grows on nuts like peanuts and pistachios. Lung infection, tuberculosis and liver damage can occur by the growth of toxins that this mold produces. It grows best in warm temperatures, so temperature control is an important factor.

E coli can contaminate pecans on the field, as it is present in impure and feces infested water. Severe diarrhea, vomiting and nausea is the result.


Tips To Identify Rotten Nuts

Look for best before dates on the package.

Chipped and brittle nuts indicate spoilage.

A foul smell means the fats have turned rancid.

Visible mold growth shows infestation and is a sure sign of rotting.




Delicious nuts can be enjoyed by taking a little care. Practicing food safety certainly has its benefits. Don't you agree?

Read more at http://www.ifood.tv/blog/health-effe...eL6zG8lBYC0.99

[SammysMom]

Is it mycotoxins Abby?

[Charley Chuckles]

Is it mycotoxins Abby?

Sorry that doesn't ring a bell. it like starts with a "F" but with my mind that could easily be a "C"

[Shewhosweptforest]

I have bags of frozen acorns from last year ...I put them out for the wilds and give them to Baby, Nougie and Sweet P ....if you cut them in two and they are ok ...use them? Or should I just toss them out? Uni must be devastated Uni

[Charley Chuckles]

OK this is not the word, but rancid is as close as I can get to it right now