DIY Taps for Maple Trees
- 1). Tap the tree between February and March when the sap will flow best, ensuring the temperature remains above 32 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 2). Identify healthy, mature trees that have a minimum 12-inch diameter. Tapping younger trees can stress or injure them.
- 3). Drill a hole into the tree using your power drill fitted with the 1/4-inch drill bit. Make sure to drill at a slight upward angle to a depth of approximately equal length to your spigot.
- 4). Examine the heartwood shavings that come out as you drill. Continue at locations that provide light brown shavings. Dark-brown shavings will not produce, so you need to drill in a different location.
- 5). Extract any remaining shavings from the hole using your tweezers.
- 6). "Tap" the metal spile into the tree using the ball peen hammer at a height that makes collecting comfortable.
- 7). Hang your sap bucket onto the hook at the bottom of the spile. The spile will extend over the bucket's edge, allowing the sap to drip into the bucket.
