Cold / warm weather cycles can produce pressure within the tree, forcing sap to flow out through openings. At the tip of pine boughs, there is a bud where pine cones develop in the spring. This bud is protected by a resinous sap. In drought years, there is less of this resinous sap. In wetter years, there may be some excess sap that can drip from these buds. Sometimes the dripping that we see is not actually sap, but rather `honeydew`. It is coming from aphid insects. They suck sap from the needles and excrete a liquid that is high in sugar and has a shiny appearance.

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拍攝者： Mccrainemercantile