Mosquitos, Spiders ,Flies, and Gnats.. What have you found in or around your buckets?
Well I guess it is getting that time of year. I am fighting with insects that want my sap almost more than I do! It is definitely a constant battle and I feel like I am losing. Have done my best to tighten everything up, but they are relentless. You know it is time to quit when the Bat's are flying around just before dark. I wish they would patrol the buckets for me!!! Good luck everyone with the final push..
Last edited by Ridge777; 04-03-2013 at 09:17 PM.
Total Newbie 2012 Not a great year to start, but had fun anyway!!!
50 taps on tubing and buckets
4 Pan Block Arch
About 4 1/2 gals finished
2013 Hopefully getting smarter.
100 taps on tubing and buckets
5 Pan Block Arch
About 13 gals finished
2014
220 to 225 taps on tubing and buckets
2x6 Lapierre raised flue
small shed turned into sugar shack
So much to do!!!
So far so good with the bugs. I've seen a few flies here and there, but it's still too chilly for much else.
~ Karen ~
2012 - 10 taps, 1 turkey fryer - 169.5L sap 4.2 L syrup
2013 - 23 taps, 2 turkey fryers - 748.5 L sap 17.56 L syrup
2014 - 22 taps, 509 L sap 12.5 L syrup
2015 - 28 taps, 1093.75 L sap 25.1 L syrup
2016 - 25 taps, 1223.5 L sap 28.25 L syrup
2017 - 21 taps, 518.5 L sap 12.7 L syrup
2018 - 28 taps, 2 turkey fryers & Denali 3 burner propane stove - 798L sap 16.9 L syrup
2019 - 28 taps, 1409.5L sap 40.12L syrup
Sugar, Norway, Manitoba, Silver and Freeman Maples
I have had a worse than normal year with the flying gnat type bug. They have been awful, and many dozens per bucket on some trees. Ants are usually a problem but not bad this year. A few moths showed up over the warm weekend.
And oddly, every once and a while I will get a small red earthworm. I've had a few over the years.
Noel Good
1998 to 2009: 15 taps on buckets, scavenged fire pit and pans
2010: New 2x4 SS flat pan w/preheater
2015: New to me Lapierre 18x60 raised flue, new shack, new everything!! 59 taps 23.75 gallons
2016: 85 taps 19 gallons
2017: Purchased 2.5 acres and tubed half with 3/16. 145 taps total 49.25 gallons
2018: 200 taps (162 on 3/16ths 38 on buckets) New NextGen RO 63 gallons
2019: 210 taps 73.5 gallons
2023: 210 taps 89.75 gallons
www.wnybass.com
Lots of little black stoneflies all season.
Moths.
Hate the moths.
Sean
Woodville Maples
www.woodvillemaples.com
www.facebook.com/woodvillemaples
Around 300 taps on tubing, 25+ on buckets if I put them out
Mix of natural and mechanical vac, S3 Controller from Mountain Maple
2x6 W.F. Mason with Phaneuf pans
Deer Run 250 RO
Ford F350
6+ hives of bees (if they make it through the winters)
Keeping the day job until I can start living the dream.
Lots of moths here..particularly earlier in the season.
The three little boys from next door.
~ Karen ~
2012 - 10 taps, 1 turkey fryer - 169.5L sap 4.2 L syrup
2013 - 23 taps, 2 turkey fryers - 748.5 L sap 17.56 L syrup
2014 - 22 taps, 509 L sap 12.5 L syrup
2015 - 28 taps, 1093.75 L sap 25.1 L syrup
2016 - 25 taps, 1223.5 L sap 28.25 L syrup
2017 - 21 taps, 518.5 L sap 12.7 L syrup
2018 - 28 taps, 2 turkey fryers & Denali 3 burner propane stove - 798L sap 16.9 L syrup
2019 - 28 taps, 1409.5L sap 40.12L syrup
Sugar, Norway, Manitoba, Silver and Freeman Maples
I hate moths!!! (Nothin' like a little moth powder to taint your sap) One to two in half of the buckets. Black flies earlier. A few leaf cutter bees in one bucket on a warm slope, but not quite warm enough for them to have their usual brawl & party that they do near the stream at the bitter end of the season.
Last edited by Peeper; 04-03-2013 at 05:20 PM.
Lots of black flies and gnats! Straining them out every time I empty my buckets! Ugg!!
2024 - 16 taps - buckets on our best producing trees, still boiling on a block arch with slight modifications/refinements over the years.
2021 - 25 taps - all buckets
2013-2020 - 30/41 taps: discovering which trees were the best producers
2012 - First year - 21 taps in our backyard - block arch evaporator with 3 steam table pans!
No insects in Eastern WI yet. It's been too cold. Last night it was 15*.
150 on 3/16 gravity 2018 and 120 sap sacks
14 x 20 sugar shack
2014 New custom 2x6 arch "The Firestorm" w/ preheater, AUF & AOF
Smokey Lake pans and water jacket bottler
2024 new 2x8 set of drop flue pans and hood from Smoky Lake. Lengthen our arch.
Just a hobby but seems like more work every
year
3 generations working together
Wife that guards our syrup
43.74° N
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