How are your trees doing this yr?

[Ed K]

I'm very suprised, the pear thrips aren't bothering this yr and we haven't had to much problem with leave defoilation. Heres hoping they are getting plenty of starch built up.

[latewood]

There has been some caterpillar damage locally,but it has been spotty and not too widespread. My syrup mentors taught me years ago that a very hot summer usually meant lower than normal sugar content in the sap during the following season,--from my experience this is especially true on the earlier runs.

[Iver]

The trees got plenty of rain and sun for sugar making. It may be a great season. Who knows? It's got to be better than last season.

[Al]

You got that right! :D

[saphead]

Finally got out in the woods the other day and noticed an 8" maple across the road. Upon inspection I noticed it broke off about 7' up at an area that was 80% girdled by an insect.I peeled away some bark and the track left by the little critter was about 1/4" wide by only 1/32"-1/16" deep,I should know what did this but I can't recall. I also found some other maples in the area with similar damage! What is it and what can be done about it? Come on you guys that make a living in the woods!

[lew]

sounds like sawfly damage. we see it from time to time, but never in too many trees, maybe 2 or 3 in a large woods (1000 taps or greater). Have no clue what to do about it.

[forester1]

That could be the maple borer. It is a native insect that lays an egg in the tree through the bark and the next year the larva hatches and travels through the inner bark and girdles the tree partially, usually 6-10 feet up. Not much can prevent it and some areas have it worse than others. One thing to do to mimimize it is when you thin your woods, don't take out too many trees all at once, especially when the trees are pole-sized. The borer is more attracted to sunlight on a tree trunk. Also if your woods haven't been thinned in a long time you may get more damage as the insects attack weakened trees due to stress from overcrowding. At the same time you want to expand your crowns to increase sap and sugar which means open them up, but do it over time. So it's a balancing act.

[Fred Henderson]

I got a few of them in my bush so I am having it aerial sprayed this year. Hope the rest of you guys are ready for them buggers. They sure can disable a nice producing bush in a hurry. Probably going to cost me around 6 or 7 hundred bucks, there goes the profit for this year.