Trees with fencing

[greenhill]

My neighbor plans to start tapping this year and has 10-12 trees all that have grown around old sheep fencing. Will the fencing cause any problems with the sap or syrup?

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

We have a bunch of trees with various types of fencing running through them. Have always tapped them and never had a problem. We watch out to not drill into the wire. Remember there are scars in the wood from the fence too. Staples, etc have caused dead wood just as an old tap hole would.

[Oaknut]

Only if they hit the fence with the tapping bit.

[greenhill]

Thanks! I'll let him know.

[brookledge]

No it will not affect the syrup.You may want to tap above the area about a foot or more as it is a wound to the tree just like a tap hole. I have quite a few old trees that are on fence lines that had barb wire stapled in over 50 years ago and probably 100. I'm not sure when they started using wire for fencing but I have some old stuff sticking out of some trees that pre dated barb wire.
In the old days any tree on the fence lines where used to save on post plus they don't rot off.
Keith