Gonna Be A Late Season

[bretmw]

Looking like its going to be a late season here in Perrysville, Ohio. Just checked out the 10 day forecast and it's calling for below freezing temps. :cry:
Shaping up to be a repeat of last year.

[bowhunter]

Looks that way. I tapped on January 20th based on the "then" long range forecast and sap has only flowed twice. I guess it's three weeks in March again this year.

[Lazarus]

We made a mere 20 gallons between late January and first week in February. Shut down since then. While the sugarhouse has been kept at 35-40 degrees, I'm uncomfortable letting the pans sit full this long for spoilage, so I'm calling it for this batch. I'm boiling off everything in the big evaporator this weekend. I have a little 3x2 hobby pan I can set up in the yard to boil off the 50-60 gallons of half made stuff sitting in the big evaporator. I wanted to do it last weekend but the temps were so cold I didn't think I could get a fire going hot enough to open boil in the yard. Now we got snow coming but maybe on Sunday I can cook it all off. Then I'm seriously holding my breath for March - it's usually 80 degrees here in March and it's over, so we might have lost a season if we don't manage a very slow warm-up.

To give you an idea of how cold it's been, I had to rescue one of our Muscovy ducks off the pond earlier this week. She was absolutely coated in ice and unable to fly, although she was still pretty speedy and it took a lot of effort to catch her, including a chilly dip in the pond myself. She would have died in the subzero weather we got in the past few days. She's nestled in a big wire dog crate in our heated sunroom, sitting out the rest of the cold weather.

[asknupp]

I'm with you guys. Tapped early in anticipation of early season. Made seven gallons and now all I do is chomp at the bit for a warm up

[buckeye gold]

Now I'm glad I tapped early and made that early syrup. I'm just an hour east of Lazarus and in the same boat. It looks like cold until the second week of March then the blow torch comes on. I had high hopes of being done by early March, because I have surgery coming up most likely mid March, then I'm done period. I made 9+ gallons before the deep freeze hit.

[newmod]

So much for that Feb 21 tap date Bret. I am modifying my back pan, so this extra time is helpful.

[bretmw]

I intend to tap Saturday February 28th. I think and hope that it's going to start to warm up a bit. Also I'm going to a Honey Bee Conference the following weekend so I won't be able to tap then. So you gotta do it when you can. lol

[newmod]

Bret,
Which honeybee convention are you gong to? I am going to the one at OARDC in wayne county. Dont remember the dates though, I think in the next few weeks.

[bowhunter]

Looks like I might as well try bees too. This long range forecast looks like a bust this year for maple syrup...maybe 1/2 as much syrup as last year if I'm lucky.

[bretmw]

Todd,
I'm going to the TCBA annual Spring Beekeeping Workshop in Wooster. It's March 6 -7th. I'll be attending on the 7th. They've been having this workshop for 37 years. Very informative and fun. You can register online @ http://www.tricountybeekeepers.org/register . They get lots of people that want to attend and have to limit the size to 1000 attendees. If you want to attend you better get registered. Maybe I'll see you there.

ps: I think this is the same one as you mentioned.

[newmod]

Ya, that is the same one. I am registered. I know nothing about bees but plan on getting started. Probably see you there

[Grand Square Acres]

Newmod getting into beekeeping is as addictive as making maple syrup. Wish I could attend the conference but we are having a open house that weekend. Hope I'm tapped and have some sap to boil. lol.

[bretmw]

10794
The wife and I got our trees tapped Saturday afternoon. Now let the flow start. It appears that it will start warming up a little this week. Finally.