The sap may be long gone for the year, all of our trees have had their taps pulled, and the sugarhouse is all cleaned up, but we still have plenty of work to do.
Summertime is the time to work in the woods, fixing, replacing, and updating the pipeline.
In our January Blog Post, I told you about the damage that rodents, birds, and woodland animals do to the pipeline, but apparently, that was small potatoes compared to what we came across this summer. The two pictures below sh
ow where coyotes have chewed holes in the main pipeline.
Why in the world would coyotes be interested in chewing through plastic pipeline you may ask? I really don’t know, except maybe they smell the sweet sap? Or maybe because even wild dogs like to chew on things they aren’t supposed to…
This picture below shows damage caused by a woodpecker…go figure!
Once all the damage has been repaired, it is time to improve the layout of the pipeline. You want a layout that makes it easier for sap to flow unrestricted to the holding tanks next sugaring season.
The pictures below show the new cedar posts which have been installed to support and properly pitch the pipeline so there are no sags or “bellys” where sap can collect during sugaring season, causing surges and uneven flow.
This summer season we’re also working on improvements to the sugarhouse that will help things run even more efficiently next season.
Sugaring is basically a continuous improvement endeavor, especially in the summer! Stay tuned for more updates!
