Site Discussions

Dave, thanks for explaining what the trends are in the wholesale syrup business. I had no idea it has been that dynamic over the past decade.

Sorry about the jack knife. If your snow was like ours it got very slick near the ground with just a bit of tire packing.

I hadn’t considered the taplines staying in place. Although I have no use for ATVs and snowmobilers mostly stay on trails it does cut down on “sharing” the woods. My real question is what effect does this increased productivity have on the trees? And anything of 40,000 square feet is not a sugarhouse, but a factory. Perhaps the definition of sugarhouse could be figured on total production.

Think of it like this.  Take a sheet of paper, while it is fresh, that represents flat land.  Crumple it up, that same sheet now crumpled is much smaller, so if you get a larger sheet of paper it can be crumpled up to resemble hills, valleys, etc. and it will fit on the same size as the original sheet of paper, similarly, a land that contains hills will give you more surface area per acre than flat land.

No, Mary. At this point it is what it is. You may as well collect the sap.

My husband drilled one too many holes in our big, old, maple tree for sugaring. Can he plug one of the holes now so the tree won’t be stressed?

We have seen a fox whose tail keeps losing fur.  It is so cold and snowy here and this fox seems a bit desperate, just eating some bird seed.  I noticed that someone fed the fox heartgard and amoxicillin and chicken for weeks.  How much of the medications did you give and how did you ensure the fox got it?  We’re in the woods with lots of other animals.  I don’t want to see this one suffer and don’t know what to do other than to try to trap and euthanize him or her.  Would rather do something to treat him or her but it’s getting bad.

Questions: where did you get the mosquito resting box traps that you use? If you made them, how? Do they collapse for storage?

Great article! Otters remind us that every aspect of life can be fun.

I was drawn to beekeeping because the fascination I have for their culture. Truth be known? It’s not just bees!!

A pair of MD’s have been returning to nest on our firescape for 10 years.  She (or he) has been sitting on an egg for 5 days, she appears to be motionless.  He has not appeared in 5 days.  How can we tell if she is still alive?  What can we do?

Kathy said “Bring the flying squirrels you trap to the wildlife rehabber. They will take them from you and care for them until they can safely release them. Every state has wildlife rehabbers through Fish and Game.” 

Not always so easy. I rehabilitated ONE female which my cat brought in as a tiny baby and I still have it in my care 6 months later. Every single ‘rehab’ place refused it saying they were at capacity which was utter nonsense because I know they operate on government grants here in Ontario and they were just being picky and lazy…while at the same time bragging to me that they do take in Flying Squirrels. What’s the point of a rehabilitation center that refuses animals? This is Ontario Canada for you.

Bobcat siting- near Pisgah State Park in Hinsdale on 3/5/18.

Appeared to be a juvenile based on the size. Crossing the road.

Awesome to see!

Always informative and entertaining. Misery loves company?  Interesting temperature data and the disparity between gallons of sap and gallons of syrup produced this year…  As very small producers, you help us to view the seduction of the equipment dealers spiel more clearly.  Trying to stay small and backyard - less reward? Certainly less risk! More fun.  Thanks, Dave.

I believe this quote has an error:

“Once that starts, the moisture in the air goes directly from a gas to a solid. It’s a process called sublimation, with ice crystals building up on everything, said Goff.”

I believe sublimation is only the reverse process, that is, the phase transition directly from solid to gas. Not gas to a solid. The gas to solid transition is actually called deposition, or desublimation.

Your description of sap flying out of the vacuum exhaust pipe is all too familiar to us over here in northwestern PA!  It has been full on, all out, these last 3 weeks trying to get our woods tapped and sugar house ready for such a large pulse of early season sugaring.  Best of luck to you- may the cooler forecast give us all the breathing room we need to get ready for the next run!

Loved this! great writing: poetic, funny and informative. As always a most engaging style. Thanks Dave Mance.

Thanks for the analysis. It’s very interesting.

I found this helpful. I need to ID sugar maples and red maples because I plan to inoculate (25) 4’ bolts of freshly cut red maples and 25 bolts of sugar maples with shiitake mushrooms. I want to keep the species separated to see how each performs in the production of the mushrooms.
The angle of the branches and twigs will be most helpful from viewing on the ground before they leaf out.

Nice article, Susie. I enjoyed it immensely.
NPA

Their belly fur is thin, Pat. I’d guess the animal is fine.