Foo - WTF is it?

These are all over our deck. Hundreds of them. There are no trees close to the house. They just sorta appeared today. I have no clue what it is. It's a little fatter and shorter that a grain of wheat. Any ideas?

Pic is kinda big so rather than pasting it in a post...... HERE'S A LINK (http://www.luddite.net/showmedave/misc/WTF.jpg)

Eat one, it might be a lemon.

Hey luddite.net, cool. :D


As per the objects, cut one open and examine the inside, they look like seeds to me but a Biologist, I aint.

Looks like a seed of some sort. Are there any trees overhanging your deck?

No trees within 100'. No bushes around the deck. Nothing. That's what's got me stumped. Might cut one open tomorrow. Ain't going out in the friggin' cold to get a razor blade or X-Acto from the shop right now.

Yeah Luddite, a "net friend" of mine owns that domain name. I asked him a few years ago if I could have some web space on his server and he hooked me up.

Wind carried them? HTFU and bring one inside...it's surgery time.

Lol...no!! I am wuss!!

martian turds hahahahahaha

Perhaps it is a sick prank your neighbors are playing on you. I would prefer to have seeds on my deck than getting forked.

http://i.ehow.com/images/GlobalPhoto/Articles/5243268/0105080954-main_Full.jpg

Wind carried them? HTFU and bring one inside...it's surgery time.

NOooooo Don't do it!

http://www.clubdesmonstres.com/profanateurs02.jpg

http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/invasion%20of%20the%20body%20snatchers.jpg

Looks like some sort of scarified seed to me. The scarifcation probably occured in the digestive tract of a bird. Perchance, has there been a big flock of birds on or around your deck?

Have not seen a "flock"... but I have seen several birds out there recently. What is this "scarification" you speak of?

removal of the seed coat. Many seeds have a hard outer cover and depend on mother natures creatures to remove the seed coat.

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/hil-8704.html

They're alien pods that fell from a space craft.

More Alien Pods (http://www.luddite.net/showmedave/misc/BBs.jpg)

With pencil for size reference. (http://www.luddite.net/showmedave/misc/BBs_Pencil.jpg)

Clearly, you pissed off someone at the puffed rice cereal factory, and you are now under attack.

what are you going to do when they hatch?

What berry producing plants do you have around? I am gonna say yaupon holly or burford holly, chinese holly, etc. The red covering is gone, digested by the animal and that is what is left. That would be my guess.

manna?

Sorta looks like it could be some kind of mushroom/fungus/puffball thing.
Is your deck made from untreated lumber? Lots of rotten whatnot underneath?

Also looks like a handful of corn pops cereal
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/39/Corn_pops.jpg

Somebody was eating cereal and dumped a handful on your porch.

what are you going to do when they hatch?
Run away. Run far far away.



What berry producing plants do you have around? I am gonna say yaupon holly or burford holly, chinese holly, etc. The red covering is gone, digested by the animal and that is what is left. That would be my guess.
I have not seen ANY berrys on any trees/plants/bushes around our yard. Maybe they are from a neighbors plant. So basically.....you are saying .....they are.....poop.

What berry producing plants do you have around? I am gonna say yaupon holly or burford holly, chinese holly, etc. The red covering is gone, digested by the animal and that is what is left. That would be my guess.

+1

People! The man said like a gazzilion times that there are no trees or bushes anywhere around his house! Geez!

I was referring to the recycled pooped out version of the berries by the birds that were hanging out at his place. You know, like those coveted coffee beans?

I was referring to the recycled pooped out version of the berries by the birds that were hanging out at his place. You know, like those coveted coffee beans?

I still think they are alien pods from another world. Or alien poop!

I was referring to the recycled pooped out version of the berries by the birds that were hanging out at his place. You know, like those coveted coffee beans?

Sorry Siu, my reply wasn't aimed at you or anyone else in particular. :) How you been? ;)
Maybe the OP should make coffee out of them!

People! The man said like a gazzilion times that there are no trees or bushes anywhere around his house! Geez!


Wait, so then how tall are the bushes and/or trees around the house?

Assuming they aren't from the forest engulfing your deck, i'm going to go with . . . flock of bird poop. Instead corn, we now have those things :)

......Is your deck made from untreated lumber? Lots of rotten whatnot underneath?........
No.



....Maybe the OP should make coffee out of them!

No.
But if anyone wants them I will gather them up and sell for ...oh I dunno....say $40 an ounce. Free shipping.

People! The man said like a gazzilion times that there are no trees or bushes anywhere around his house! Geez!

The reason that some plants require seed scarification by digestion is to insure seed dispersal. Most animals do not live their life stationary....................... note that I said most.

Dissected a couple of them but still have no idea what exactly it is or how they got there.

http://www.luddite.net/showmedave/misc/disected.jpg

What do they taste like?

Plant one and see what grows!

Clearly its squirrel nuts.....someone's been castrating them on your deck.

I would say soybeans. Question is, how did they get there?
I like mine honey-roasted.

Looks like those coated peanut snacks.
http://www.marylanddelivered.com/images/nutterzbacon.jpg

I think they might be alien eggs. It looks like there is a yolk. I think you need to kill them all.

Maybe they're giant centipede eggs.

ok - not eggs. Try planting one and see what grows.

Once you bisected one, it is obviously a scarified seed of some sort. The endosperm is gone, most likely digested by an animal and you are left with embryo and cotyledon, etc.

Started out like the seed/berry on the left and ended up like the seed on the right.

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r162/jsharr/mueller-fig2a.jpg

They look like something that would fall from a tree overhanging your house and/or deck.

*tee hee!* Jsharr said "endosperm" *giggle*

Is that what happens when you attempt a front wheel stoppie and rack yourself?

Soybeanssoybeanssoybeanssoybeans

They might be soybeans.

Do you think they are soybeans?

I'm from Illinois and I know soybeans when I see 'em.

Soybeans are bigger than that.

http://www.kyagr.com/kyproud/images/edamame.jpg


Ohh wait. American soybeans.

http://adams.extension.psu.edu/Agriculture/News%20Articles/Spotlight%20on%20Ag/images/Soy%20Energy/soybeans.jpg

In the words of Arnold, "Its not a toomAr!"

I still want to know what they taste like.
I'm also from Illinois and have no freakin clue what a soybean looks like.
(endosperm)

I still want to know what they taste like.
I'm also from Illinois and have no freakin clue what a soybean looks like.
(endosperm)

You need to get out of Chicagoland during autumn. Soybeans are all over the roads from where the farmers spill them.
I bought a bag of honey roasted soybeans for $1.00 the other day at Big Lots. Go there if you are really curious what they look and taste like.

I guess those could be something else, but they sure as hell look like soybeans to me.

I think they might be elf potatoes. There are probably elf babies going hungry under your porch.

Unless dragracer cleaned them off (or it rained), they are probably not scarified seeds- otherwise they would have other bird poop stuff on them.