Check this out; Insects attracted to Maple Sap: Observations from Prince Edward Island, Canada
Just one region, but interesting never the less. Clearly not something widely studied.
Cheers,
Russ
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Check this out; Insects attracted to Maple Sap: Observations from Prince Edward Island, Canada
Just one region, but interesting never the less. Clearly not something widely studied.
Cheers,
Russ
I had moths also in all my buckets, every bucket had at least 2 of them,then the day I pulled everything I had a massive amount of flies in my buckets along with a few moths. As for the yellow sap...., I had one tree this year and every few days the sap in the bucket would be a slight tinge of yellow, it didnt smell bad or taste bad so i collected it and boiled it and my syrup tasted just fine when done.
Moths are common at this time of the season - that's one of the purposes of the coarse strainers on collection tanks that are meant for bucket operations. I had one fly into the steam above my syrup pan the other day and it suffered a fast, sticky death. It filtered out not long after looking like a candy coated delicacy! No - I didn't try it but I'm sure Survivorman would have!
thinking I should not worry about collecting sap and go help make sandbags this evening... serious problems around here not far from me. Thankfully my own little swamp has peaked and started to go down. The Moira river is actually frighteningly close to even the 401 bridge in Belleville. I'm sure if you get closer it's not quite as bad as it looks from the highway but wow what a crazy amount of water.
Oh I know the moths are common as are flies and have no problems filtering them out when I bring in the sap. I just want to know what kind they are (will check out that article on PEI a little later).Quote:
Originally Posted by ennismaple
As for that poor ol fly that flew into the steam...rest assured that that fly died a very happy death!! And now you have me wondering what it might have tasted like ;-)
Trees quiet today but most still have clear good sap sitting in the spiles. Maybe tomorrow.
Yellzee. If you do you should see Gavin there. He's been going every day after school. Just called to say he wouldn't be home till after dinner. Wanted to get another hundred sandbags filled before he left. Teenagers !! :)
Another frustrating day, after a very cold day yesterday (down to 13F) we only got up to 35F today, not even high enough to get my sump pails unfrozen. Couldn't even boil as my storage tank was frozen too. Ideal weather is forecasted for the next 7 days for me, so here's to it coming true.
Cheers,
Russ
Didn't make it Eddy, wife's birthday so was a good boy and went to supper with family. Feeling guilty for not helping out!
Bit of sap In the main tank but not enough to do anything with. Bet it just started then Froze again
Finally, a pic of the family so far...from left to right batches 1-5. And yes the big jars on the bottom are 2ls! I also already took 250ml each from batches 2 and 3. If the weather stays good (checked my trees around 8ish, they were dripping away...) could have a nice big batch for #6. Will it be another Red Queen? Who knows!Attachment 9659
Beautiful photo Galena. The box elder nearup that I cooked down last night yielded 1.1L. Unlike last year's buttery flavour, this year it has an interesting, almost molasses'esque', aftertaste. Quite tastey, but very different.
I still haven't cooked down my soft maple and sugar maple nearups. The sugar maples that I tap started to drip late this afternoon. 130 drops per minute.
Susan, is the far left one silver maple syrup by chance? Very light like my silver syrup was. ..
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Its a mess just north of Belleville and in the Tweed area,a few sections of Hwy 62 have water on them from Moira Lake and Moira River. I am Installing a back up generator in Tweed today for someone and they have 6 sump pumps going in their basement constantly right now and still have 2" of water in their basement.The water on the Moira River is about 10-12 ft higher than normal right now, and the ice is not even off the lakes yet.Quote:
Originally Posted by Yellzee
Hey KyleQuote:
Originally Posted by Kyle Baker
Nope, I don't have any silvers, mostly sugars and a few reds. My first batch is traditionally very pale and vanilla/marshmallowy in taste. So far that's also the only batch that is crystallizing a little, I know I overboiled!
So are you done for the season, Kyle?
Yep I pulled everYthing down and cleaned up over the weekend. I've been watching my trees but they aren't even dripping. The holes must be all dried up.
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And 11 buckets back up! Addicted... lol
Well, 5 hours filling sandbags.. Big Eddy think I saw your son there... Great support from local business with food, water coffee etc. talking to mayor sounds like latest hope is it crests right about now! now time to hopefully collect sap!
I had my best sap day ever today. Boiled for 9 hours, still have 50 gallons in the storage tank and another 50 gallons in pails...and the sap is still flowing. Still no sign of buds, and forecast still looks very promising for the next 6 days.
Finally, a season..;-]
Cheers,
Russ
Well. Best run of year but cloudy in main tank . Tastes ok to me...not bitter so will filter and see how it looks . Running strong right now
Got 26l today, and they're still dripping happily away as of now. There was some slight clouding from a couple trees but everything smells and tastes fine as sap, it's boiling down now and no funky smells or weird foam. Still no buds on those trees! Will absolutely have to pull spiles next weekend though.
Kyle...we never did get a chance to meet up this year...dang!!! Stupid sap tsunami has kept me swimming fast just to stay afloat (along with life in general, and work). Anyway not surprised to see you put some buckets back up, my #7 tree is weeping sap from open holes, tempted to go put those back on...*sigh*
:lol: I was tempted today also as sap was shooting out of the holes :cry:Quote:
Originally Posted by Kyle Baker
Sap at 2.4% on digital refrac. Need to figure out how to zero portable refrac as it reads over 4 but distilled water tested at 2.
Yea gads, just got in another 14l of gorgeous clear clean sweet sap...that brings my yearly total to 320+ l...new record! Now just hoping that the oncoming warm weather kills the run. I'm sure tomorrow will be good, but after that...c'mon, trees, I need my sleep!!! :-)
Galena, let your trees keep on leaking and don't wish the warm weather on us juuuuuuust yet. ;)
I was so happy to change my signature tonight from 171L collected to 290L. To 'speak American' I collected 35 gallons today from 22 taps. A couple had only dribs and drabs, but others overflowed. I wonder if they'll run through the night?
I am in renfrew, Ontario....just left my sugar camp at 10:30 pm and taps were still dripping in the dark....great day today...200 gallons collected.
Dear all; I am looking to buy sap from anyone willing to sell. Our sugarbush is in the lanark area but has turned milky. Anyone with clear sap? Looking for large amounts. Thanks!
Hmmmm. Boiling the new sap but there is a noticeably different odour and we are getting more shaving cream like foam on top... Am I wasting my time? Sap is fairly clear after filtering. Tastes a bit different but I wouldn't say bad or buddy
I got an additional 100 gallons overnight, plus another 140 gallons in 2.5hrs this morning (I don't know where that onslaught came from, but I keep testing the sap and it keeps saying 2.3-3, so I'm happy. Its going to be another long day, the sap is still running but slower than this morning (thank god, I've pretty much run out of containers, using 1.75L Crown Royal bottles now...luckily I have 50 of them hanging around...;-])
Have now made 16.5L of beautiful dark amber (I think).
Cheers,
Russ
That's great Russ. At this rate I think you'll have 51 Crown Royal bottles to use before you know it.
Looking out at my bags, jugs and buckets I've also got some emptying to do from the overnight flow.
175 gallons in the tank plus the 40 I brought in last night! Still running. It is quite cloudy in the main tank but clear in my smaller collection tank
If there's one thing I've learned this year, its that you gotta wait till you see some sign of buds. I keep looking at my trees and see no buds..none, nada...and figure...there's no way these trees are all going to die this year because of a lack of sap, there was simply too much snow for that to happen. So, the only logical conclusion was, there will be sap...;-] And there's no way the tree can put that much sap up into its canopy in a day, it takes time.
I was told you can reasonably expect 1 gal/tap/day, and 12 days/season. I've had ~5 sap running days so far this season, and got 500 gals in that time. That's under what I was told, but not too far. I still have 28F weather in my forecast 9 days from now...so its not unrealistic that I can get my 12 days still. I'm at 320 gals in the last 31 hours, which is pretty dead on what it should be.
A lousy season from no snow I can see (aka 2012), a lousy season from too much snow...no way. And, I understand, this should mean an amazing season next year too regardless of snow.
Karen, you go girl, I can't imagine collecting that much from buckets...you got a Gator or something to dump into as you're collecting...or are you just really buff...;-]
Cheers,
Russ
Well, all I can say it's a good thing I got up at 8am downstairs...stumbled around to check the trees and holy hand grenade...23.4l had appeared overnight, some of my 2-gal pails were 60% full...so quickly collected, went to work *yeah I know...ah the joys of being self-employed*, went to Good Friday dinner and tried not to fidget too much...got home...another 22l waiting. So just finishing making nearup of what I got yesterday, will be tomorrow before I start getting started on today's collection.
Ok trees, at least mine, you can ease up now, as of right now I have collected 365l this season, a new record. Still no sign of buds or sap souring, a couple more trees slowing up but #2 and #6 are in it til the end.
RFR's trees, keep going!!! Mama Karen needs you to give her all you got!!
Night all, off to babysit sap and nearup...zzzzz...
Thanks for not including my trees in your wish Galena. I had overflowing buckets again this morning and a full day boiling, boiling and more boiling. I think I've got more nearup than brains at the moment. At some point I'll have to boil it down, but right now there is no time. My taps have given me 202L in the last 24 hours and I never got to empty them this evening. Lordy, lordy.
I seem to be the most interesting place on the street these days with lots of drop-ins. As long as they aren't looking for a long chat, their visits are welcome. Sugaring is serious business and distractions can end in disaster. (like last weekend - doh!)
And Russ, I don't have a gator or any such vehicle of assistance for my hunting and gathering. It's just me schlepping up and down and back again, over and over and over. All of those syrup tastings even out the effort. :lol:
Best of luck to you Karen ,and everyone else. We have two bushes washed now, one more to go. Buds are definitely out here, sap has a pungent smell to it. Hope to finish cleaning up this weekend, then onto other jobs(won't need much wood for the sugarhouse), but plan to make several improvements for next year
Ran here yesterday and a bit today. But nothing like some others are getting. I have perhaps 400l on 100 taps. Not great at all. I thought perhaps the trees were shocked by the ice damage. I have spent the last 3 days cleaning up. Al sorts of branches for next year's fire wood pile...
Looking at last year's totals, I am just over 1/2 of what I had. 2000l vs. 3600 last year. No cold nights in the forecast, so it looks like tomorrow is the last boil.
Enjoy the las few days!
Steve, I was waiting to hear how you were doing. I've finally caught up with the sap and just turned off the burners for today. I was doing the same thing you were today - cleaning up the ice storm damage while feeding sap to the pans. Sorry to hear that you didn't get a big flow. I'll have enough syrup to see me through until next year once I finish off my pans of nearup. Not a stellar year, but let's call it adequate.
Well, my goal this season was to make $4000 worth of syrup. Between what I've made and what sap I have still to process, I estimate I've been able to make $1465 worth. I blew $300 worth of product through one full pan burn and my front pan burn last night...so, 6 more sap flowing days before it turns buddy and I'm good...otherwise, its less than an expected season (12 good sap flowing days of 1 gpt).
Please, let's all chant together, "buds need sap, lots more sap, before they form..."
Cheers,
Russ
Well, sap flowing like crazy today but very cloudy so I pulled the line out of the tank and drained it all. Forgot to save any for my pan though!?! Final totals in a few days after we finish everything. Big Eddy and Ennis... You still going strong?
What's wrong with cloudy sap? Did it taste off?
Cheers,
Russ
Tasted a bit off and had a bit of odour...although my tank needs cleaning so odour may not be the new sap. Main thing is my trail from the shack to the tank is so far destroyed I am lucky to get any more sap dragged up. It's also time to move on to other spring stuff! Spent the weekend at the trailer with my boys!
Next year pipeline to the shack will be in place so avoid this. Spent all fall fixing my trail only to wreck it again.
Got another 80 gals of sap today. Not gangbusters like yesterday, but decent. Still no buds. Another 9 hours boiling...evap is still only at +5F...;-[
Cheers,
Russ