Bill and Bob explore the mysteries of the Osage Orange tree.  Find out why this is the most planted tree in North America and why it was so highly prized by Native Americans.

Interested in Pleistocene anachronisms?  Check out Connie Barlow’s The Ghosts of Evolution: Nonsensical Fruit, Missing Partners, and other Ecological Anachronisms.

Bob concluded the episode describing the difficult (and messy) process of extracting and preparing Osage Orange seeds for a “tasty snack”.  Click here for the video.

Bill and Bob explore the world of the American Beech Tree. Bill shares about boogie woogie aphids. (Here is a link to a YouTube video on aphids .) Bill also explains the mysteries of a plant that lives off the roots of the beech and produces no chlorophyll. Bob sits near a beech tree and discovers the secret of how Native Americans collected beech nuts. The tip of the week just might come in handy on a stormy day!

Bill visits Florida and brings home some troublesome guests. Bob is busy moving some kayaks and discovers a very active buzzing insect nest. Join us to find out how we dealt with these challenges and get some tips on how to deal with some of nature’s more challenging creatures.