The tree in my front yard proves this stat right every September when I'm out there with a rake for weeks. Squirrels stash them in my flower pots, my gutters, even my car engine bay one time. At least they're free mulch if you run them over with a mower enough times. Does anyone else deal with the little seedlings popping up everywhere the next spring?
My friend Karen has a massive oak in her backyard and she gave up on raking after year two. She just lets the leaves pile up and runs them over with her riding mower until they turn into dust. The squirrels still hide acorns in her grill cover every fall though. One spring she had like 30 tiny oak trees sprouting up between her garden rows.