Contents (Click To Jump)
- 1 What Are the Most Common Tree Issues in Shakopee?
- 2 Does the City of Shakopee Provide Any Assistance in Tree Removal Problems?
- 3 Who Is Responsible for Fallen Tree Removal in Shakopee?
- 4 How Does the Soil Affect Trees in Shakopee?
- 5 Does Weather Affect Tree Health in Shakopee?
- 6 What if Dead Trees Are Near Power Lines in Shakopee?
- 7 How Much Does Tree Removal Usually Cost in Shakopee?
What Are the Most Common Tree Issues in Shakopee?
Trees are essential for helping to keep your home cool in the summer months and an occasional heatwave. We see a variety of trees in the area both native and non-native. The trees that we see most often in the Shakopee area include:
- Red cedar
- Balsam fir
- Hemlock
- White pine
- Jack pine
- Red pine
- Black spruce
- White spruce
- Eastern larch
- American larch
The pine and fir trees grow to towering heights while the spruce trees offer lush, full limbs and leaves. When one of these impressive trees needs to be removed, many Shakopee homeowners want to know what went wrong. Here are the tree issues that we see most often.
Insect and Pest Infestations
When the weather warms up in the spring, Shakopee becomes a haven for bugs and other critters. While all these pests play an important role in the local ecosystem, they can destroy an otherwise healthy tree. They either want to use your tree as a food source or a home, depending on the type of insect. The pests that we see most commonly in the area are:
- European gypsy moth
- Asian longhaired beetle
- Khapra beetle
- Asian gypsy moth
Unfortunately, most pests don’t stick to one tree in your Shakopee yard. You may find that pests are infesting multiple trees at once. However, you can treat an infestation and possibly save the tree if you notice the infestation early. You need to look out for these signs:
- Leaves and limbs that grow in smaller than average
- Misshapen and discolored leaves
- Insects crawling on the tree
- Weak areas between limbs and the trunk
- Holes and channels bored into the trunk
- Bald patches of missing bark
- Stunted growth
When you notice one of these signs or something else peculiar, our team can evaluate the tree and make a recommendation for treatment or removal.
Winter Weather Damage
Each year, Minnesota and Shakopee become a white winter wonderland. The area sees more than 51 inches of snow on average each year, and the temperatures hardly ever rise above freezing. The nighttime temps plunge to the low teens or single digits.
All this extreme weather creates a hard freeze that lasts for several months. During this time, the trees in your yard can’t access the moisture and nutrients that they need to survive.
Your evergreen trees are built to withstand a hard freeze, but not all the trees in your Shakopee yard are evergreens. Young trees and saplings are especially vulnerable even if they’re evergreens.
When spring arrives, you expect the trees in your Shakopee yard to start growing again. A tree that fails to grow in the spring might have died during a hard freeze.
We get the occasional call from an area homeowner that they have a tree that bounced back in the spring before suddenly dying. This tree was probably damaged during a hard freeze, and only parts of the tree were able to process nutrients. As time passed, the damage spread until the tree died.
Does the City of Shakopee Provide Any Assistance in Tree Removal Problems?
You can expect the City of Shakopee to assist with tree removal problems on public land. These trees are planted and cared for by the city. This includes any area of an easement on private property. However, if the tree is on private property and not on an easement, it is your responsibility as the homeowner to remove it, and the city doesn’t provide any assistance.
Who Is Responsible for Fallen Tree Removal in Shakopee?
When a tree falls, someone needs to take responsibility for its removal. This section covers a variety of situations and helps you understand who the responsible party is for removing the fallen tree in Shakopee.
If you’re a homeowner?
In almost every case, as the Shakopee homeowner, you’re responsible for removing a fallen tree from your yard. This is because your yard is private property. Sometimes, the city or one of the local utility companies has retained the right to use a small area of land on your property called an easement. When the fallen tree is in this area, the city or utility company will handle its removal.
If you’re a renter?
When you rent a Shakopee home, you may have signed a lease that indicates that you take care of the yard while you live there. However, this wouldn’t include a project as large as the removal of a fallen tree. This is the responsibility of the homeowner, although you do need to keep the homeowner apprised of any issues in the yard and home.
If you’re a landlord?
Are you the homeowner and the landlord? It’s up to you to remove a fallen tree from the yard even when you have a tenant living in the home. It’s too large of a job to ask the renter to take care of it for you.
If you’re a neighbor?
The fir and pine trees in the area grow to incredible heights, which is why someday, you may find one of your neighbor’s trees lying in their yard and yours after it falls. You are responsible for removing the portion of the tree in your yard.
However, if you find out that your neighbor knew the tree needed to be removed and didn’t take care of it, they were negligent in their care of the tree. This leaves them liable for removing the entire tree.
While you might need to take legal action to get your neighbor to fulfill their obligation, it’s always a good idea to talk to your neighbor first. You might be able to work out a solution between the two of you and remain on friendly terms.
How Does the Soil Affect Trees in Shakopee?
The soil in Shakopee can affect the health of your trees. The most common soil type is loamy soil or Vertisols. It’s a combination of silt, sand, and clay, and it originated from a lake bed. This soil is often dark. It offers plenty of nutrients for your trees to grow healthy and strong. However, it doesn’t always drain effectively, leaving your trees at risk for root rot, a fungal disease that can damage or kill a tree.
Does Weather Affect Tree Health in Shakopee?
You can expect the weather to affect your trees’ health. Shakopee sees some frigid temperatures in the heart of the winter. These harsh conditions create a hard freeze that leaves your soil frozen and your trees trying to get nutrients.
In the spring and fall, temperature variants can bring thunderstorms. These violent storms might damage your trees with high winds. Another possible cause of damage to your trees is a lightning strike. Although rare, a tornado might move through the area, damaging everything in its path.
What if Dead Trees Are Near Power Lines in Shakopee?
When you see a dead tree on a power line, you need to move away from the area and contact Shakopee emergency services and Shakopee Public Utilities Commission. This tree can cause electrocution for anyone who gets near it or an extended power outage. A tree that’s only near a power line presents dangers. A dead tree near a power line must be removed by a professional so that it doesn’t end up on the power line.
A dead tree near a power line might be on an area of an easement, and it’s the responsibility of the utility company to remove it. A dead tree in your Shakopee yard near your service line is your responsibility to remove unless it’s on an easement.
How Much Does Tree Removal Usually Cost in Shakopee?
It’s really important for Shakopee homeowners to know the cost of tree removal; however, we can’t tell you exactly how much it’s going to cost before we visit your home. The cost of tree removal in the area ranges between $155 and $1,955, with an average cost of around $655. While the city doesn’t require a permit to remove a tree, other things affect the cost.
Tree Size
It costs more to remove taller or thicker trees because our team needs to take additional safety precautions and time. It takes more skill and safety equipment to remove a larger tree without damaging your home or property.
Tree Condition
A decayed tree needs to be removed carefully. The decayed areas can crumble in on themselves, creating an uncontrolled fall. This has the possibility of damaging your home and other trees, so it takes longer for us to remove.
Firewood and Wood Chips
When we remove a tree from your Shakopee yard, we can cut the tree into firewood or run it through a wood chipper. You can use the wood chips as mulch around your yard.
