ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Some homeowners near Lake Ontario have been raking leaves since late June, months earlier than normal fall cleanup. Joe, a local, reached out to News10NBC wondering why his maple trees were losing leaves in early August instead of October. While tar spots are not uncommon, this much rain is unusual. The good news is that affected trees are not likely to die from tar spots. However, they will experience some stress and lose many leaves early.