2012 was my first year going from buckets to tubing and I was tapped the second week in December,2013 I tapped third week of January,this year we still have 3ft of snow in the sugar bush and it in a north facing gut so it doesn't get much sun,here it is march and I haven't even thought about tapping yet,i have two trees on buckets I put out 3 weeks ago and haven't got a drop of sap yet,