Tubing chewed

[maplefrank]

Have damage in an acre??? Tubing seems to be crushed, not the nibbling of squirrels... Will try to get pics tomorrow....

[Moser's Maple]

sounds like it could be deer without seeing the pictures

[maple flats]

maplefrank, maybe you should update your signature, it says 1270 taps, all buckets. How did you get tubing damage with just buckets?
Do you have bears in your area?

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

I'm with Jake, sounds like deer chews. Does it look almost like a wad of bubble gum?

[maplefrank]

Yes, I should update!! Due to the cost and finding help we decided to try 3/16 tubing... And was very happy with it!!!!! Yes it does look like bubble gum... Will get some pics soon....

[maplefrank]

12054 the damage

[maple flats]

Yes, that's deer. A few years ago, I had one lateral that got missed cleaning and there was still some sap in it. The deer destroyed a section maybe 40-50' long. I think they were smelling the fermented sap thru the tubing. I knew it had sap, because when I found it on the ground, there wer still a few pockets of the bad sap. That is the only time I've had significant damage from deer. However most years I find a spot or 2 with the deer chewed "bubble gum" effect.
When I found that worst one, there were deer tracks all along the damaged area in the snow that was still on the ground. That made it easy to identify the culprit.

[BreezyHill]

The cure is to goto your local greenhouse grower and get several ornamental pepper plants. Rubber gloves and jersey gloves on top and rub the peppers on the tubing. Work perfect for me.

[maplefrank]

The cure is to goto your local greenhouse grower and get several ornamental pepper plants. Rubber gloves and jersey gloves on top and rub the peppers on the tubing. Work perfect for me.

Bought some peppers..... Tested it with my tounge on the tubing...... Took a few hour to get feeling back!! So far it seems to be working???? I know I'm cured!!!!!!!

[BreezyHill]

Bought some peppers..... Tested it with my tounge on the tubing...... Took a few hour to get feeling back!! So far it seems to be working???? I know I'm cured!!!!!!!

Oh God! I am sooooo sorry I didn't tell you don't eat them. LOL

What ever you do don't rub your face with the gloves on, or pee, or anything...that stuff is nasty.

Glad your issue is resolved...taste buds do grow back. LOL

Should have told you about my nephew at age 7-9 was a real smart a$$ and was at the booth at the fair and asked what the plants were...HOT peppers...don't touch. "I love hot peppers". No, not these! Next thing we know he is on the ground eating grass and yacking like a cat. His dad asked what did you do??? "Took a bite of one of the peppers...tears flowing down his face...I am going to die". We laughed and got him some water. So do you now under stand what No means??? Yes...sorry.

We still ras him about that some 8 years latter...and he still says he remembers that night like it was yesterday.

Glad it worked.

Usually you don't need to reapply but maybe next summer as a precaution.

[maplefrank]

Thanks for this tip!!!👍 The guy I'm buying tubing from told me about someone buying cayane pepper, Tabasco sauce, petroleum jelly and rubbed it on the tubing.....

[BreezyHill]

You can make a paste with the peppers and the P Jelly to apply better and to get more coverage; but the oil in the pepper could drip off in the sun or on hot summer days easier and not get onto the line as well.

The way to eat peppers and not have the burn is to eat buttered bread first...the butter coats your mouth and the oil of the pepper doesn't reach you tongue as well.

Thinking along those lines I wonder if the jelly could do the same to the deer. I would want to fry the SOBs so they never try it again.