Ok or bad bugs

[BlueMaple]

16135 These are tiny bugs al around the maples and buckets. Anyone know what they are?

[johnallin]

They look like snow fleas...
http://www.esa.org/esablog/research/snow-fleas-helpful-winter-critters-2/

[psparr]

They are quite annoying but won't hurt. Just filter the sap.

[Michael Greer]

A true sign of Spring. On a sunny they can emerge and walk about on the snow.

[Russell Lampron]

They're snow fleas like others have said. Filter them out and boil the sap the season will be over soon.

[BlueMaple]

Great! Thanks for all the quick responses! They seem to love sap. And a very cool read from johnallin!

[Wanabe1972]

I found snow fleas the day after I tapped this year. You seem to always see them in Your footprints in the snow. I haven't seen any since the latest snow storm.

[wally]

as noted above, they are collembola, also called snow fleas and springtails.