another problem ANTS!!

[oldboyscout]

just discovered a trail of ants into my best tree and jug. Does this happen often? the jug blew off in the wind yesterday and the tap was running down the tree all day, probably a gallon or more. What can I do?

[C.Wilcox]

Pretty hard to stop the insects from getting in to the pails. I'd recommend you just get a good filter for your collecting tank.

About the pails blowing off, some people have had luck bungee cording them to the tree.

[oldboyscout]

It was a milk jug hanging on a plastic (tubing) spile. I just got some more aluminum buckets so they should stay on better.
I was surprised how many ants there were out in the cold.

[Haynes Forest Products]

I would consider a closed sap collection system. You start out drilling a hole in the tree. You install a tap and a 5/16 hose to the tap and run the tap into a Food grade bucket. Drill a hole in the top of the bucket that is slightly smaller than the tubing and insert :):D:)

[TapME]

just discovered a trail of ants into my best tree and jug. Does this happen often? the jug blew off in the wind yesterday and the tap was running down the tree all day, probably a gallon or more. What can I do?

there hungry and want food and water, can't blame them;). As said just use a good filter to get them out and the boiling will clean everything up after that. I don't know much that live past 219* do you. Have fun

[S Culver]

Haynes is right I use a few short runs to a bucket with a 7/16 hole on the side of a bucket and run the leader 5/16" tubing in through the side. It will give you cleaner sap. Of course this will get you into another level of commitment. Tubing/ and tubing tool/ and more fittings vs, a jug hanging on the tree. Also it may take a little longer to collect prying off the lids vs just pouring sap and ants out of the jug.

Good luck

[Haynes Forest Products]

You dont need to pound the lids on so tight that your fingernails are ripped off at the end of the year. Remove 95% of the outer ring of the bucket lid leaving 3 -3" sections around the lip so it snaps on and comes off quicker than a Prom Dress:o

[Bucket Head]

We used the bucket/lid/tube system for years. It worked great. There is no better collection system for a small producer. Very inexpensive and a tubing tool is'nt needed. We carried a thermos of hot (boiled) water with us to dip the tube into and soften it up for inserting the fittings. You can solve two problems at the same time doing it this way- the bug issue and no rainwater will get in. I got most of ours (used) from a local bakery for free. Get ones that had a food product in them. Ours had flavorings or fruit filling in them.

Steve

[RockFarm]

Yeah, ants can be a bother, but right now I've got these tiny little buggers that are all over the snow and my buckets. I think they are called snow fleas, and there must be millions of them. I definitely have to filter before I boil. At least the rain today might wash some of them away or drown them.

[morningstarfarm]

had a season first...a moth in my buckets and ants...spring is here

[3rdgen.maple]

I had 3 mice in one bucket last year. No Haynes I didnt filter the sap but I did BBQ the mice for my neighbor who has a way of telling when I am cooking sapdogs or anything else in the sugarhouse. He didnt find it as funny as me.