Tubing installed, add drops now or later?

[Too Tall]

I strung up my tubing last week because it was a nice weekend. At each tree is a "T" with no drop attached to it. Can I leave it like this until the season and then install my drops?

Or should I install the drops/spiles now and just plug the spiles. The T fittings I'm using have a place for me to plug the spiles.

[adk1]

well, your t fitting is exposed now right unless you have capped the port that your drop will go onto. I would go ahead and install the drops..why not..just make up your drops at the house!

[BreezyHill]

No, if you don't at least cap the tee you will be getting FM(foreign mater) in the tubing.
In the future stretch the lats and when tapping, cut in the drops. This way you have installed the spouts on the drops with your tee or y on the end in a nice warm shop or house; and use a tubing tool to split and press in the drops in the bush.

[maple flats]

Actually, when putting up laterals this time of year, I add the T with the drop attached, but no spile (tap) yet. The drop then hangs down and I don't seem to get anything in them. If doing this when insects are looking for a place to hide, they will make the drop a home, but at this time of year that doesn't seem to be an issue.

[BreezyHill]

Must be you don't have those snow fleas in your area. We have them really bad the last few years. I see them on the tubing in the sun often. They are tiny enough they wont plug a line but they can turn foot prints in the snow black when we start tapping.

The other thing I found last season was where the squirrels had punctured the lines a black mold grew in the tubing. The peroxide wash cleaned it up but we will be giving a peroxide shot to every drop when we cut off the old spout and tap.

[Smitty8377]

One thing that I found that works great.... I buy the foam earplugs and roll them tight put the in the tubing and they expand perfectly keeping out rain and insects