maple syrup

Crazy worms — an invasive species from Asia — pose a threat to forests, scientists say. The worms can thrash around so violently that they can jump out of a person's hand. They also lose their tail — on purpose. Josef Görres/Plant and Soil Science Department University of Vermont hide caption

Doug Brown and his brother Roger, right, operate Slopeside Syrup in Richmond, Vt. They're challenging a proposed federal label that would say maple syrup has "added sugar." John Dillon/Vermont Public Radio hide caption

New technologies that replace the traditional bucket and tap method of getting sap from sugar maples may help combat climate change's effect on the trees. Brianna Soukup/Portland Press Herald/Getty Images hide caption

Quebec produces about three-quarters of the world's maple syrup supply. "There's pride, and maybe a little bit of nationalism, associated with it," says Antoine Aylwin, a Canadian lawyer who represents maple syrup buyers who've tangled with the federation of syrup producers. Ano Lobb/Flickr hide caption

It's All Grade A Now: Different grades of maple syrup are displayed in East Montpelier, Vt. Toby Talbot/AP hide caption

Beyond maple: Sap drips from a pine tree. Around the nation, producers are making syrup from the sap of pine, birch, even black walnut trees. iStockphoto hide caption

Fresh maple syrup in two maple leaf-shaped bottles, with other bottles behind. Police officials have arrested three men who allegedly siphoned the sweet treat from 16,000 storage barrels stored in a Quebec warehouse. iStockphoto.com hide caption

Maple syrup bottles sit on a shelf. A Canadian syrup producers' federation says a warehouse holding "over 10 million pounds of maple syrup" was recently burglarized. Toby Talbot/AP hide caption

Soaring birches, waiting to be tapped for sap Linards Liberts hide caption