AVOID THESE 5 TAPPING MISTAKES! 😱🍁

Welcome to Maple Farmer's latest adventure! 🍁 In this video, we dive deep into the world of maple tapping, uncovering the top 5 common mistakes you MUST avoid for a successful syrup season!
🤝 Join the Maple Farmer community by hitting that subscribe button, and don't forget to tap the notification bell for more adventures. Have you encountered any tapping mistakes not covered in this video? Share your experiences in the comments below!
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Boxler Maple Farm, is a family owned farm located in Western New York. Our family spends our time learning, growing, and working together to build a life we are proud of.
#MapleFarming #TappingMistakes #SyrupSeason #MapleFarmer #SweetSuccess 🍁
Timecode
0:00 - Intro
0:22 - Mistake #1 Tapping in the wrong spot
2:09 - Mistake #2 Not Tapping the spout correctly
3:18 - Mistake #3 Not having a clean tap hole
4:45 - Mistake #4 Not looking at the tree before you tap it
5:48 - Mistake #5 - Not checking tubing and fittings

[@MapleFarmer]

I may have missed some mistakes but these are the most common ones we run into 🫠

[@bobbolieu9013]

Fantastic video. You shared great insight and instructions. The office view is pretty good too. I would have to keep reminding myself that there is work to be done. I would want sit down with my back against a tree and watch the wildlife.

[@jamesducey2685]

A smiling face and realization means mistakes can go away..

[@ExpressAudioVideo]

Thank you Nikki. Hoping you have an incredibly successful maple harvest this year.

[@MapleFarmer]

Thank you!

[@ricksuydam5718]

Some pretty cool specialized tools! You really have to be in shape for this work!

[@tedquaker954]

P.S. Love the "winter forest" - snow covered trees.

[@MapleFarmer]

Me too!! It’s my favorite time to be in the woods

[@paralifetv-youreverydaywhe8314]

That connector tool is very cool!

[@beckyumphrey2626]

Those woods are amazingly beautiful with the snow. Great video.

[@MapleFarmer]

They are!

[@philleroux2333]

Hi I'm maple syrup producer from Québec Nice video, we are finding more and more that 2"x6" tapping patter will still create compactization in the taps zone or ring even with very fast growth place. We're going to 2" x 16"! I know it's a lot we sometime have to go under the 5/16 line and we dont see yield loss. Have a great season.

[@MapleFarmer]

Thanks for the info!

[@tedquaker954]

Thatnks.... what a great family!

[@raydurni1175]

Love your smile. What a great job to be out in nature all day! I have two trees to tap today. My first attempt at tapping. Thanks for the helpful tips.

[@tarefoot]

Hadn't thought about those dang varmints chewing on the lines......👍👍👍🙏

[@MapleFarmer]

Yea we have some places we call squirrel city because it doesn’t matter how many times you fix the lines, you’re guaranteed to have more leaks the following day!

[@jamesducey2685]

Wow. To hear the word taut is super specisl. I adore words.

[@MapleFarmer]

It’s not one you hear very often

[@yvesjolicoeur747]

awesome review. Thanks and have an awesome season...with no fire ...lol

[@davidkimmel4216]

You make it interesting. Thank You

[@AJ-sb8qk]

3:32 I'm learning a lot from these videos which I find interesting, great and fun to watch. I just started researching the process but I wanted to ask you about the angle of the drill because I've heard so many people say ( others videos I've watch as I'm researching ) that you should drill in an upward angle to give the sap a slight downward gravity feed but you said that you should drill straight into the tree. Is there any truth to the slightly angled drill or will thr sap run through the feed line regardless? Thank you for being so informative in your videos. NEW SUB

[@John-fs2mh]

Can't thank you enough!

[@curtisanderson1830]

very good teacher , learned a lot today

[@MapleFarmer]

Glad to hear that

[@richardjulian9263]

At one seminar we went to, we were told that squirrels are attracted to the tubing from the salt/oils in your hands. They suggested to use cotton gloves when handling tubing (leather has salts oils as well). Since doing that we've reduced our squirrel chews significantly. Just something to think about. Great video, keep them coming!

[@MapleFarmer]

I’ve never heard that before. Seems like an interesting theory. We will have to test it in squirrel city

[@richardjulian9263]

@@MapleFarmer I don't remember if it was a seminar with Steve Childs from Cornell, or from Tim Perkins at University of Vermont. It has made a big difference for us.

[@grega2362]

As an old phone guy, they chew anything. The will chew though the black plastic and the aluminum jacket on a fiber cable to chew the colored fiber casing. As a bonus, once they find a color they like, they will chew that same color at different points. So cotton gloves might help, but the oils of your hands and salts will have worn off by spring and they do it just to make you angry.

[@richardjulian9263]

@@grega2362 You could be right. It's helped us for the past two years so we'll keep doing it for now.

[@grega2362]

@@richardjulian9263 Wont hurt

[@memyselfandifarmer]

I must say, I love your eye's, You are a stunner.

[@raysloan792]

Your little one old enough to see the GREATNESS in PB M&Ms yet 😅

[@MapleFarmer]

Not yet but they are my favorite candy… it’s my addiction 😳

[@richardanderson2742]

Looks like your family could use a few good squirrel recipes.

[@vincentcotnoir1356]

ok, now I get it, that thing on the drill is more for stability than the deep of your hole !! Did you ever use a wood mallet instead of a steel hammer ? thank for the video.

[@lars277]

Labor intensive. I bet when things are all smooth, it is very satisfying.

[@MapleFarmer]

However between the dairy and maple nothing is ever smooth 😂

[@gavinperry7237]

@@MapleFarmerHave you considered doing some videos on the dairy operation ?

[@MapleFarmer]

I have, I think I might try to show some of that after maple season!

[@garthhume6509]

It looks like you do have a sweet sugar bush ! Great information . The sound of the hammered tap is a good one. Can I add some information about tree disease ? Believe it or not but every tap an every drill bit before it drills into the tree is dipped in isoproply alcohol at 70 percent to insure that there is the least amount of contamination and transfer of disease from tree to tree > Hope this was helpful ?

[@neiltasselmyer5711]

I have a Precision Tapper. Love the look of the Exact Tap. Where can I get one? We are high vacuum and Precision Tapper paid for itself in two years

[@CorvetteBill364]

I have received my order of delicious BOXLER maple syrup . I am fascinated by this process. As I child I remember helping to feed sourgum cane into the old mule turn press. You could not hardly wait for that clean juice to start running so you could get a drank. Too much and you had a belly ache and trouble the next day LOL ! Does your farm allow for visitors during your cooking process?

[@MapleFarmer]

What fun memories! We currently don’t but hopefully will once our building is complete!

[@CorvetteBill364]

@@MapleFarmer Well that is great news I will probably never make it during the winter but would love to see it one day

[@KingLoopie1]

👍👍

[@StevenVeldt]

What are your best tips for leak checking Nikki? I usually add a small set of locking pliers with protected jaws to my kit so that I can pinch the lateral and see if the leak stops. I was chasing a few today and I'm sure you'll be getting into it soon.

[@paulprigge1209]

So what do you say when you ran out of taps? I’m all tapped out! Of course

[@MapleFarmer]

😂 I see what you did there

[@robertlivingston1634]

Yup make sure it's a nice healthy maple not a nice healthy basswood 😅

[@jBigjohndoe1971]

Where does one acquire one of your fancy drill cradles?

[@johnfrey1]

How do you keep deer from walking through your tubing?

[@carsonhucks9229]

👍👍👍👍👍

[@matthewstackpole5609]

So it does make a difference tapping the south facing side of the tree?! I'm going into my second year with a hobby evaporator and 60 taps but have been keeping an eye open for some land for vacuum type operation here in southern Maine

[@Ranger-Al]

Thank you Nikki, for posting this video. Could you please provide me information where you purchased the precision tapper. This would be greatly appreciated, from east central Minnesota. 👍🏻

[@MapleFarmer]

It’s by CDL we bought them from our local CDL dealer. I am going to see if I can reach out to get a direct link of where to purchase them! Stay tuned!

[@Ranger-Al]

@@MapleFarmer Thank you, appreciate your help on this.

[@davejustdave3777]

How many trees do you tap in a season?🤔

[@MapleFarmer]

Me personally or how many for our operation? We have about 35k

[@BigBear-rz6pm]

Nikki how soon after the sap quits running do you get the taps out of the trees? Also if you don't put a drop line on and tap the tree does the connecter have a check value or do you cap it to prevent a vaccuum leak???

[@StrangerInAStrange]

I'm just learning, but think I can answer that. The 'T' connector has four sides: two straight through to continue the lateral; one perpendicular for the tap; a fourth perpendicular that is 'blind/plugged' to connect the tap end of the drop line to before tapping and after removing the tap.

[@timjk32]

do bears or any other animals break the lines ?

[@rehobothoutdoors4085]

Is it too late to start to do a little bit of tapping at my house?

[@marknicholls2755]

What is the link or where did you get the exact tap attachment?

[@christopherwicks9664]

Do you mind sharing if you prefer the precision tapper or the exact? I’m looking to purchase one and can’t decide….thanks!

[@MapleFarmer]

I'll see if I can get a link of where to order them, if you don't have a local dealer by you!

[@MapleFarmer]

I'm hoping to do a video comparing the 2 as they both have pros and cons so it's really personal preference.

[@christopherwicks9664]

@@MapleFarmer that would be great!

[@davidfitwe]

I see you haven't fixed the speed tap and put it on the drill the correct way.

[@MapleFarmer]

I actually prefer it “upside down” It’s a preference thing!