Maple Sap beginning to run.....Have several maples along my driveway, try to collect some sap each year to boil down for maple syrup. Tapped this a week ago, just started to run today. First this is not a profit making thing, I could buy enough high grade maple syrup to last 2 years for what it costs me to make 4 ounces at home. However, it is very good and allows you to see how the tree reacts to spring weather changes. Literature indicates if the low temp. is under freezing and the high temp. is above approx. 45 F,the sap will run. The photo show my simple collector, drill the tree with 1/2 inch hole, about 1.5 inch deep,insert plastic tubing, using a clean milk bottle as storage. Tie a rope around a limb, to hold the bottle. After collecting is over, I coat a 1/2 inch dowel rod with glue and drive in the hole ( see to right and near rope,a 2yr old plugged hole). Concentrations range from 40-1 to 80-1, this tree ran 55-1. That means I will have to evaporate 54 units to get 1 unit of syrup.