Is it too early to tap?

[FreedomFarm]

My weather forecast shows lows of 20s and high of upper 40's to low 50's the next few days. Is it too early to be tapping? Just wondering.

[johnallin]

Looking at where you re - north of I 70 in Ohio - it may pay to wait until we have our big freeze....Tapping too early may compromise your tap hole come spring.

[Michael Greer]

Go back to bed.

[jdircksen]

I'm in Ohio as well and was tempted to tap early as well. The consensus is that if you tap too early, you could get a long period of freezing with no sap flow, then when it starts flowing again, your holes have already closed up a little and you won't get a full length season. Also people think that early sap has a lower sugar content.
I have waited, but I'm getting antsy. I had a really good year last season that ran Feb 2 - March 10. The prior year wasn't as good and I tapped roughly Jan 15 - Feb 22.

[buckeye gold]

If your limited on taps then wait. I am ready to tap some next week, but I have two 3/16th lines with a total of 40 taps that I always do early. I don't depend on them for spring regular production. I am in Ross county so I'm south of you. I have done this for several years and some years it pays off and others it doesn't. I would not risk my regular taps this early. I will most likely start my regular spring season around January 20-31st depending on weather trends. I have more trees than I tap so I can gamble. It's nice to make some early season syrup. Sugar is always lower, not it might be. Runs are typically smaller too.

[Galena]

Ahhh noobs....unless you have trees to spare and don't mind possibly doing permanent damage to your trees all for a teeny lil bit of low-sugar sap, go for it. *EYEROLL*

[Ed R]

Right now its to warm to tap. It looks like cold weather for mid January. When that breaks towards the end of the month I might start thinking about tapping.