Thomas Bryant, 7, and his twin sister, Julia Bryant, dump out a bucket of sap Friday at their family's farm in Newfield, which has 1,200 taps.

Warm days and cool nights create ideal conditions for making maple syrup, and the season is underway in Maine. These are critical days and weeks, because the window for making syrup closes quickly.

Justin Goodwin, 17, hangs a bucket from a newly tapped tree at the Giles Family Farm in Alfred.

Frank Boucher, co-owner of Giles Family Farm, checks a bucket while tapping trees on Friday. He said he started tapping trees on Tuesday.

Sap drips into a bucket Friday from a newly tapped tree at the Giles Family Farm in Alfred. The farm will have about 3,000 taps and hopes to produce around 1,000 gallons of syrup.

Thomas Bryant checks a bucket at the Bryant family farm, home to Hilltop Boilers. The Bryant family has been making maple syrup for four generations, and Thomas and his siblings will be the fifth.

Michael Bryant checks out the tube system at his home, down the road from the family farm. The Bryants have taps at both locations, and also tap trees on other people's properties.

Thomas Bryant, 7, sucks the sap right out of the tap Friday at his family's farm in Newfield.

Julia Bryant, 7, and her brothers Thomas, 7, and John, 10, ride in the back of their father's sap collecting truck Friday in Newfield.

Bruce Bryant watches as freshly made syrup drains from a tap Friday in the sugar shack.