MaineNatureDiary

Sapscicle: This is the first red maple sapscicle of the season (it is very late). This should have occurred early in March, not at the end of March. We have had warm nights (above freezing) and warm days. This does not bode well for sugar houses in Maine, and maple syrup will probably be very expensive this year. In order to get a good sap yield, we need nights below freezing, and days above freezing.

There is a cut in this red maple tree where squirrels have gnawed at the bark to get a few licks in on the sweet sap that drips out. It freezes into sapscicles on cold mornings.