Buckets and taps - worth replacing for one last run?

[Ntatar]

So our taps have dried up or they are producing really cloudy sap. It looks like we might get one burst of cold nights and warm days here in Mass. Is it worth pulling the taps out and putting clean ones in and seeing if we get one more run or waste of time? We have about 25 sugar maple trees that are in this space.

[DrTimPerkins]

Simply putting in new spouts will not help. If the tapholes have dried out or are producing poor sap, they won't do any better with just a new spout. Sometimes people will ream the tapholes a little bigger or drill a little deeper and put in a new (or the same) spout, but this usually produces a short burst of sap. Whether it is worth it depends a great deal on timing and the cost of labor. There has been some research looking at attempting to put a second taphole within the same staining column (so slightly above or below the previous taphole) as a way to increase production, however it is HIGHLY likely that doing so even just a few inches above will increase the size of the wound (essentially creating a second wound). So unless the tree is large enough to support a second taphole, it is not a recommended practice.