Tapping Maple trees - Ask Extension
I am wondering what your thoughts are on tapping maple trees this year after last year’s ice storm. I live Northwest of Harbor Springs and our woods...
Knowledgebase
Tapping Maple trees #924731
Asked February 18, 2026, 9:54 AM EST
I am wondering what your thoughts are on tapping maple trees this year after last year’s ice storm. I live Northwest of Harbor Springs and our woods were badly damaged by the ice. Thank you
Emmet County Michigan
Expert Response
Hi Mike,
There is good information that surfaced after the Vermont ice storm back in 1998. The article at the link below gives recommendations for tapping based on the percent of crown loss (or the percent of branches each tree lost during the ice storm).
https://extension.unh.edu/sites/default/files/migrated_unmanaged_files/Resource000987_Rep1129.pdf
In summary, this article (and several others) recommend lightly or not tapping trees that lost over 25 percent of their crown.
This next article evaluated the sugar content of trees damaged in the Vermont ice storm seven years later, in 2005.
https://mapleresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/0205icestorm1998effectsonsugarbush.pdf
The summary states that trees with over 50% crown loss lowered the syrup producing capacity of the tree for six years.
Based on this research, it would be wise to wait on tapping the trees with more than 25% crown loss for a number of years to allow recovery time during which the crown will re-establish.
Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions.
Thank you,
-Julie
There is good information that surfaced after the Vermont ice storm back in 1998. The article at the link below gives recommendations for tapping based on the percent of crown loss (or the percent of branches each tree lost during the ice storm).
https://extension.unh.edu/sites/default/files/migrated_unmanaged_files/Resource000987_Rep1129.pdf
In summary, this article (and several others) recommend lightly or not tapping trees that lost over 25 percent of their crown.
This next article evaluated the sugar content of trees damaged in the Vermont ice storm seven years later, in 2005.
https://mapleresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/0205icestorm1998effectsonsugarbush.pdf
The summary states that trees with over 50% crown loss lowered the syrup producing capacity of the tree for six years.
Based on this research, it would be wise to wait on tapping the trees with more than 25% crown loss for a number of years to allow recovery time during which the crown will re-establish.
Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions.
Thank you,
-Julie
