AFFORDABLE TREE REMOVAL SERVICE IN Brewster, MA

What Are the Most Common Tree Issues in Brewster?

We’ve got a thriving ecosystem of trees here in Brewster, and folks around here have seen just about any problem you can name pop up over the years. There are definitely some problems that are much more common here in Brewster than others.

Beech leaf diseaseis a disease caused by nematodes or microscopic worms. It was first identified in 2012 in Ohio and was first detected in Massachusetts in June 2020. It damages the tree’s leaves causing a decline in its strength and health, eventually leading to the tree’s death. Being a newly emerging diseases, not much is known about how long it takes for symptoms to develop and how the disease is spread. Oriental, European, and American beech trees, of all ages and in both urban and forest settings are at risk of getting infected by this disease. An early symptom of beech leaf disease is dark green stripes between the leaves’ veins. As the disease progresses, the leaves may develop a leathery texture, curl, or wither. You may also notice branch dieback or a thinner canopy if the tree is heavily diseased.

Lymantria dispar is formerly known as the gypsy moth. In the late 1860s, E. Leopold Trouvelot brought the lymantria dispar from France to Massachusetts to study how it produces silk. It accidentally escaped from his home and has since then spread throughout the Northeast and beyond. 

The lymantria dispar prefers to infest white oak, but other species of oak and deciduous species are also susceptible. If there is a short supply of their preferred trees, they may also attach conifers. Healthy trees may survive a year’s infestation of lymantria dispar but years of infestation can affect the tree’s health and make it prone to attacks from decay fungi, wood-boring insects, and other pests.

The hemlock wooly adelgid (HWA) came from an infestation in Connecticut in 1988. It is a tiny insect that attacks the Eastern and Carolia hemlock and can severely weaken and kill the infected tree. Should it infect a tree that is already unhealthy, it is capable of killing it in 3 to 5 years, while healthier trees can withstand the attack for a longer period.

Once the HWA is in one area, it will be a threat to all hemlock. It is important to check the hemlock for infestation a few times a year, and treat the trees should any HWAs be found.

In 2007, black oak gall wasps have been affecting trees in Martha’s Vineyard and Cape Cod. Symptoms of a black oak gall wasps infestation include swollen twigs, dieback, flagging, slow leaf growth during springtime, and epicormic growth. The infestation usually starts at the upper crown and works its way down the tree.

Not much is known yet on how to control black oak gall wasps. So far, based on clinical trials, there are no insecticides that is able to control infestation from these insects. For now, maintenance of trees is the best option to keep them strong enough to withstand attacks from black oak gall wasps.

Asian long-horned beetles are bullet-shaped insects that are ¾ to 1 ½ inches long. Their bodies are shiny black in color with white spots and they have long, striped antennae. They attack hardwood trees such as willow, ash, poplar, and birch trees, to name a few. Symptoms that your tree is being attacked by Asian long-horned beetles include drooping or yellowing leaves that are out of season, chewed, round depression the tree bark, excessive sawdust buildup at the tree’s base, and pencil-sized, round holes which serve as exits for the beetles.

Currently, there is no cure for trees infested with Asian long-horned beetles, leaving early identification and eradication as the best ways to control the attacks on our hardwood trees.

Does the City of Brewster Provide Any Assistance in Tree Removal Problems?

Unfortunately, the city of Brewster doesn’t provide any assistance with tree removal problems. Brewster does coordinate with Eversource to maintain trees near the electrical right of way. The city of Brewster doesn’t have much help in the way of tree removal on private property.

Who Is Responsible for Fallen Tree Removal in Brewster?

According to Massachusetts law, the tree owner is always responsible for its removal once it’s falling. In cases where a tree may fall across property lines, the tree owner is almost always defined as the owner of the land on which it grew. This means if a tree falls off of your property and onto someone else’s, you didn’t look out of the responsibility of removing it. You’ll need to arrange for the tree’s removal or at the very least compensate the property owner for their costs in the tree’s removal.

While you are responsible for removing a tree you own that falls on someone else’s property, it’s important to note that you’ll rarely be responsible for any damages the tree may have caused when it fell. Usually, insurance companies will consider a tree falling as a no-fault accident and compensate any homeowners who may have suffered damages. If you’ve been warned that your tree is in poor health or at risk of falling for some other reason, your insurance company could make the case that you were negligent in the incident. In that case, you may find yourself saddled with the responsibility of paying for damages in addition to the tree removal, making it extremely important to remove any trees at risk of falling to prevent both potential safety risks and potential liability.

If you’re a homeowner?

If you’re a homeowner here in Brewster, the trees on your land are part of what you bought when you invested in the property. Maintaining the trees on your land keeps your home comfortable and beautiful and helps maintain and grow the value of your property over time. Healthy, thriving trees can be a huge asset to a property, but only if they are maintained and cared for.

Not only do fallen trees on your property create an eyesore that reduces the comfort of your home and probably annoys your neighbors, but over time leaving fallen trees to linger can damage the ecosystem on your property. Fallen trees can attract pests and vermin that could easily spread to other parts of your property and potentially damage healthy trees. Removing fallen trees promptly not only avoids these risks but keeps your home safe, clean, and beautiful.

If you’re a renter?

If you rent a home in Brewster, removing fallen trees is likely your landlord’s responsibility. Usually, tenants are tasked with routine care and maintenance of the property, like lawn care or simple gardening, but trees are usually considered permanent structures on a property according to the law. This means the maintenance and care of them are more in line with the maintenance on a building on the property rather than care of a temporary fixture like a garden or grass. Just like structural maintenance on the home you rent, your landlord should be the only one making decisions about tree care on their property.

When a fallen tree needs removal, your first call should be to your landlord. They may want you to arrange the details with us, or give us a call themselves. They should always be the first to know what’s going on with their property so that they can make informed decisions about the land they’ve invested in. 

Your landlord should act quickly when falling trees need to be removed. They have an obligation under Massachusetts rental code to remove nuisances and safety hazards promptly before they can be an inconvenience or a risk to you.

If you’re a landlord?

If you own a rental property here in Brewster, it’s likely that the responsibility of tree removal still falls on you and not your tenants. Even if your tenants were responsible for tree care on your rental property in the eyes of the law, you wouldn’t want them making decisions about the trees on your land. The trees on your property can have a large impact on the value of your investment, and you should be allowed to make the final decision on any care, including the removal, of the trees you own.

If you’re a neighbor?

If you have a neighbor who needs fallen trees removed in Brewster, they must remove them. Our city ordinances forbid clutter and the build-up of nuisances on private property. Even though the fallen tree may be in their yard, it can still affect your property. If pests and diseases are drawn to the decomposing Tree in your neighbor’s yard, it’s unlikely that these unwelcome guests will make a distinction between their property and yours. 

Whenever you have disputes with neighbors, it’s always best to try to resolve things by communicating openly first. If you can’t come to a resolution with your neighbor, then the city of Brewster may help mediate the situation.

How Does the Soil Affect Trees in Brewster?

Our soils tend to be relatively shallow and well-drained here in Brewster. Our soil is usually a loam mixture with large grains of gravel. This means that water can readily drain through our well-aerated soil down to the deepest of tree roots.

The drainage of our soil may complicate life for small trees or saplings, however. Often moisture will flow so quickly through the top layers of our soil that it can deprive surface-level roots of water, so you’ll want to pay extra close attention to younger trees to make sure they’re getting what they need.

Does Weather Affect Tree Health in Brewster?

Our weather around here in Brewster provides just about everything that a growing tree could need. Our winners may get a little cold, and we may see some significant snowfall from time to time, so don’t expect tropical varieties of trees to do very well year-round here. We get plenty of year-round moisture, and while our summers get hot, they’re over before they can do too much damage to any of the native species of trees around here.

We do see our fair share of serious storms here in this part of Massachusetts. High winds blowing in off the Atlantic can regularly test the structural limits of trees. With torrential rainfall and serious wind speeds not entirely uncommon here, you want to ensure that your trees are as healthy as possible before our stormy season.

What if Dead Trees Are Near Power Lines in Brewster?

Trees should always be planted with care and trimmed throughout their life so that they avoid overhead power lines. Suppose any part of a tree could fall onto or into transmission lines or transformer boxes. In that case, it could easily interrupt service to thousands of households or even potentially start a dangerous fire. Around Brewster, Eversource regularly trims and removes trees if necessary that have the possibility of encroaching on their electric lines right of way.

If you have dead trees on your property that Eversource hasn’t caught that could potentially fall into power lines, you need to let them know at once. While we’re usually happy to help you with tree trimming and removal issues, utility technicians are the only workers who have the training and tools necessary to mitigate the risks of power lines. They should be the only ones to work anywhere near their electric infrastructure.

How Much Does Tree Removal Usually Cost in Brewster?

Tree removal is usually pretty affordable around here, and small, straightforward jobs can usually be done for as little as $80 to $120. A few factors could have a major impact on how much you pay for your specific removal job.

Size

When it comes to tree removal, the size of the tree is probably the single biggest factor in determining how much you’ll pay. Removing trees is never easy work, but large trees had a whole host of extra logistical and safety issues that will require extra planning and precaution to navigate.

Big trees are carrying a lot of weight and could potentially pose serious threats to us as we work to remove them, as well as to your home or other buildings on your property. The extra expenses involved with removing a big tree may be inconvenient, but it pays to take our time and do the job right on extremely large trees.

Where and How the Tree Is Growing

No two trees are exactly alike, and neither are the circumstances in which any tree grows. Over the years, we’ve seen some trees growing in fascinating ways and fascinating places, but sometimes how and where a tree grows can complicate its removal.

Trees that are growing right up against or near your home, for instance, can often pose a serious risk of damage to your home if we’re not careful during removal. Likewise, a tree that you need to remove that’s growing in a grove of other healthy trees may present some challenges to getting to the offending tree without harming others. While it’s never impossible to remove a tree, the unique circumstances of how it has grown can often influence the price of its removal.

The Health of the Tree

Even after your tree is dead and needs to be removed, its health can still affect it. If your tree’s been dead for a long time, chances are that it’s begun to rot. We commonly remove rotted trees, but they can often complicate removal due to rotted wood’s tendency to splinter and break unpredictably. This often means we’ll have to be extra careful and employ extra tools to make sure everything goes according to plan during the removal.

If your tree died of an illness or an infestation, then the ailment that brought your tree down may still be very much alive inside its corpse. In these cases, we’ll have to take a lot of extra care while we’re removing your dead tree. The last thing we want to do is spread an infection to other healthy trees on your property. Removing a fallen or dead tree is about keeping the entire ecosystem of your property healthy, so we’ll need to take whatever steps are necessary to protect your other trees. While having seriously contagious diseases in your trees is rare, it can occasionally increase the price if we have to quarantine a tree as we remove it.