Buckets without lids

[KReinisch]

I ran out of lids for my buckets but want to tap more. How big of a deal is it to not have lids for buckets?

[aunt stellas gardens]

I'd personally find something to cover them... The droppings from the animal friends in the woods are a concern as well as the potential for rain filling your buckets and watering down your sap.

[TerryEspo]

What about bird poop, debris, rain, dripping snow, animals drinking from it maybe. I can see lots of dumping sap if no lids are used.

There has to be a fast fix for lids.

Maybe grocery bags? Someone here will have the right answer.

Good luck.

Terry

[Run Forest Run!]

I wouldn't be using a bucket without a lid mostly because of rain and snow diluting the sap in there. I only put out a couple of dozen taps, but also put a grocery bag over the top each of my buckets (and they already have lids on them) as it keeps my sap even more pure. I hold the bag onto the bucket with two tabs of duct tape and have been really pleased the results over the years. If you can wash out a few milk jugs, a spile hole cut into the side of each of them also makes for a really handy, cheap and closed container.

[Michael Greer]

There are a million lids out there for about a buck each. Make some calls. I got everything hung yesterday and came up one lid short...I KNOW it's here somewhere!

[TonyL]

Aluminum foil?

[MapleLady]

I have run into this problem every year. What I have done is, I have a 'stash' of dollar store plastic plates that I have drilled 2 holes into one edge. I run a pipe-cleaner through the holes, then thread the pipe cleaner through the lid hole in my spiles. Works great and is inexpensive! The only problem I have had with these is that the wind can blow them around. Might work for you?

[Kilroy]

Craigslist. Call bakeries, grocery stores? But at this time of the season, it's becoming increasingly difficult to find sapping stuff.
I'd resort to cardboard if I had to.

I found nice 5 gal lids at Menards the other day for $1.17 each. They don't have a gasp, but they do snap on quite nicely.
Didn't think they'd have basic lids like these. I know they have something called a gamma lid, but waaay expensive & overkill.