Maple syrup on tap for Island producers

An Island maple syrup producer is keeping a close eye on fluctuating temperatures in hopes his short season of maple syrup production will be a good one.

DougMcLure, of the P.E.I. Maple Syrup Company, said producers have had tograpple with erratic weather conditions over the past three years, fromhuge swings in temperatures to an overabundance of snow.

"A couple of years ago we had so much snow we couldn't find the lines and last year it started in February, so we missed the first half of the season," he said."Hopefully this year we'll catch a good run."

So far this year, the sap hasn't started to run from McLure's 4,000 maple trees in his sugar bush in Breadalbane, P.E.I.

McClure saidthe weather determines his day-to-day operations.But, the syrup seasoncan be as unpredictable asthe weather, he said.

Trees need certain conditions all year around, and he needs to know the right time to begin tapping.

If not, he could get caught a bit by surprise by the sudden tap run.

"It's always challenging trying to figure out when to start tapping because if you tap too early, then the holes might actually start healing over before you get all the sap out," he said.

"Because if you tap in February and you only get a week run then you get a few warm days, then everything starts healing and you almost need to drill new holes."

Once it starts running, the season usually runs three to six weeks. The perfect conditions are freezing nights and daytime thaws that cause the sap to run.

"Hopefully the sapstarts running and we'll be hauling the sap home and doing the boiling because that's where you actually can make some money at it is when you get the syrup," he said."Walking through the woods fixing lines doesn't make you a whole lot of money, just costs you money every time you do this stuff."

McClure saida good thing about the lack of snow and mild temperatures in Februarywas the ability to get into trees more easily to tap.

He might be able to have some luck from Mother Nature this week. The forecast looks favourable this week with several days of above freezing daytime temperatures and below freezing nights predicted.

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