How long before tap hole seals up?

[Jebediah]

How long before a tap hole seals up typically? Can this time be extended by re-drilling the same hole (reaming?), and is this a bad idea? Thank you!

[jmayerl]

It all depends on how much bacteria is introduced into the hole. Bucket spouts usually 4-6 weeks, depending on weather. Tubing systems can go much longer. Reaming will not help as bacteria is already spread out from the tap hole and healing the wound. Don't ream, you are doing much more damage than nessicary.

[Biz]

What about if you tap initially with a 5/16 spout then retap at 7/16 and a larger spout? Wondering if anybody has tried it.

[jmayerl]

Nope. Please see answer below for the reason why you don't ream.

[Rhino]

As Jmayerl posted.......Don't ream, The one season years back that we had a week of warm weather (not 2012), instead of reaming we just went and retapped half our trees trying to get some sort of season. 2 full days of tapping and we were back at it, getting sap out of those taps, and not much out of the ones we left, once the weather turned back to sappin weather. I remember, we could tap alot of trees in an hour just because the snow was just about gone and walking was super easy. Putting the xtra 5/16 holes in the trees that year was a bit bothersome, but after i am hearing about ice damaged trees with 75% crown damage, and also the research being done with saplings being able to produce after being topped, and still being able to come back into production, maple trees seem to be pretty tough. The one bad thing was, the xtra damage was in our tapping target zone and not way up high. That xtra labor tapping again saved our season that year, our old taps just trickled or even shut off completely. That was before check valve taps also, so you might want to consider those also to begin the season with.

[Stamford sugarmaker]

Are you saying check valve taps last indefinitely without healing over?

Peter

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

Are you saying check valve taps last indefinitely without healing over?

Peter

No, it just slows the whole process of bacteria getting into the taphole.