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Thread: I hear the peepers--it's over!

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Central Ohio
    Posts
    318

    Default I hear the peepers--it's over!

    Oh no...........I heard the peepers last night. More tonight. It must be over, at least here in central Ohio. Something about Nature--there is a clock and everything is timed. I only hear the peepers during my last boil of the season. It's in the 60's here every day this week, and even 70 forecast for Friday. I'm leaving my taps in just in case we get a decent freeze next week and the trees haven't budded. What a sorry season. Good luck to those of you up north.
    Central Ohio
    Leader WSE 2x6
    Old metal corn crib converted to "The Shack"
    Smoky Lake 6 gallon water jacket canner
    Daryl 5" filter press with air pump
    Deer Run 125 RO

    2023: 140 taps, buckets, 32 gallons
    2019: 100 taps, buckets, 45 gallons
    2018: 100 taps, buckets, 31 gallons
    2017: 100 taps, buckets, 15 gallons
    2015: 100 taps, buckets, 34 gallons
    2014: 100 taps, buckets, 30 gallons
    2013: 100 taps, buckets, 52 gallons

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Albion PA
    Posts
    5,099

    Default

    Thanks for the warning!
    Nice stats on the 100 buckets! Good trees you have there!
    Regards,
    Chris
    Casbohm Maple and Honey
    625 roadside taps + Neighbors bring some sap too!
    3x10 King, WRU, AOF and AUF
    12" SIRO Filter Press.
    2015 Ford F250 PSD sap hauler
    One Golden named Maggie, Norwegian Forest Cat named Lucy
    Too many Cub Cadets
    Ford Jubilee and several Allis WD's, and IH tractors
    1932 Ford AAB ton and a half, dump truck

    www.mapleandhoney.com

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    Hamersville, Brown County Ohio
    Posts
    61

    Default

    Yes peepers are a bad sign for sugaring. An old saying I grew up with was "the peepers have to freeze 3 times before spring"
    2014 - 15 taps and still on the turkey fryer.
    2013- 10 taps and a turkey fryer.
    Backyard hobby now. Grew up in Upstate NY around sugaring.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    Bellville Ohio
    Posts
    95

    Default

    Peeper's loud and strong here with tree's around the house starting to show a green tint to them.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Potsdam in far northern New York
    Posts
    775

    Default

    It was 60 degrees here in the farthest reaches of New York yesterday...on the same day as our first boil, and two full weeks before last year.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Central Ohio
    Posts
    318

    Default

    I should have listened to the peepers. Peepers don't lie. That was truly the end of our season here in SW Ohio, but I kept at it and wasted time and energy. Had to throw out sweet, then collected a small run and sweetened the pan again--only to dump that out without drawing any syrup. Taps had gone dry before the next favorable weather occurred.

    Bust of a season: .15 gallons per tap. Worst year ever.
    Central Ohio
    Leader WSE 2x6
    Old metal corn crib converted to "The Shack"
    Smoky Lake 6 gallon water jacket canner
    Daryl 5" filter press with air pump
    Deer Run 125 RO

    2023: 140 taps, buckets, 32 gallons
    2019: 100 taps, buckets, 45 gallons
    2018: 100 taps, buckets, 31 gallons
    2017: 100 taps, buckets, 15 gallons
    2015: 100 taps, buckets, 34 gallons
    2014: 100 taps, buckets, 30 gallons
    2013: 100 taps, buckets, 52 gallons

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    Garrettsville,Ohio
    Posts
    621

    Default

    Why did you throw out "sweet" sap? It doesn't go bad after you boil it.
    Fred Ahrens
    330-206-1606
    Richards Ohio Maple Equipment
    Ohio CDL sales rep
    LaPierre Dealer
    H&M maple fabricator Dealer
    Service Tech/repair for all brands and electronics

    don't take life too serious, nobody gets out alive anyways!

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Location
    NW Ohio
    Posts
    65

    Default

    looks like we are done in NW ohio also. was hoping for a good week but only 2 taps started running again after the warmup two weeks ago. even went out Sat to tap 10 more trees to only get 5 to 10 gallon of sap a day. Started pulling taps last night. very bad year indeed in OH.
    2019: tapped 2/20/19, 92 taps on buckets
    2018: tapped 2/11/18, pulled 3/27/18 75 taps on same buckets 'Optimizer' inverted filter rack =30.5 gallons finished syrup
    2017: tapped 2/5/17 fuel oil tank evaporator two 18"x28" flat pans, 50 taps on drop lines/Buckets, Small scale RO =11 gallon syrup
    2016: tapped 1/25/16 1st year, 25 taps on buckets, copper kettle over a fire =4.5 gallon syrup
    6x4 gator sap collector and kid hauler

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