Contents (Click To Jump)
- 1 What Are the Most Common Tree Issues in Bellevue?
- 2 Does the City of Bellevue Provide Any Assistance in Tree Removal Problems?
- 3 Who Is Responsible For Fallen Tree Removal in Bellevue?
- 4 How Does the Soil Affect Trees in Bellevue?
- 5 Does Weather Affect Tree Health in Bellevue?
- 6 What If Dead Trees Are Near Power Lines in Bellevue?
- 7 How Much Does Tree Removal Usually Cost in Bellevue?
What Are the Most Common Tree Issues in Bellevue?
The suburban city of Bellevue still manages to live up to its name. Bellevue, formerly Belleview, is a French word for “beautiful view”. Originally settled in the 1830s, there are currently more than 53,000 people who call it home. It is the oldest continuous town in Nebraska and is located just outside the Omaha-Council Bluffs metro area.
What we love about Bellevue is the massive number of trees, shrubs, and other plant life that can be found in the residential neighborhoods. There are approximately 1.4 million trees, making Bellevue a “City in a Park“. Every hilly street, home on a hill, and the valleys are filled with trees of all sizes. It ensures that this suburban city will always remain beautiful, especially if we can take care of our plants and trees. However, we must do this by avoiding some common diseases and insects in Nebraska, which may be easier said than done.
Common Tree Pests
There are several types of insects that may get into our trees. They are:
- Worms: There are many worm species, including bagworms and tent caterpillars. They can eat leaves and put webs all over the leaves of a tree, which can make it less beautiful.
- Aphids: causes a distortion of leaves and may kill young plants.
- Ash Plant Bugs: This insect causes wilted leaves.
- Birch Leafminers: This insect may not cause permanent damages, but it can make a tree have yellowed, pale-colored leaves.
- Cicadas: Female cicadas dig small holes into the twigs of trees and bushes to lay eggs. This can cause twigs to droop and die. Smaller trees may be damaged or killed.
- Gypsy Moths: These moths can eat a tree’s worth of leaves in just a couple of days, especially if it is a large infestation.
- Scale Insects: These insects suck the sap out of trees and cause yellowing or wilting. It can stunt growth and if it is a heavy infestation, it could even kill the tree.
- And many more
Common Tree Diseases
A lot of the diseases we see in Nebraska are not life-threatening for trees. However, they are still worth taking notice of. The most common are:
- Anthracnose: Although not life-threatening, this fungal disease can make trees look horrible.
- Apple Scab: This may first appear as dark green to black spots on your tree, but over time, the spots may change to brown or yellow. If the infection is severe, your tree may lose its leaves early in the season.
- Leaf Scorch: A tree with leaf scorch will start turning brown along its leaf margins. It means that your tree is not getting enough water in most cases. However, it can mean that there is an underlying problem including root rot, trunk rot, insects, or poor soil quality.
- Chlorosis: In trees, this is what an iron deficiency looks like. It could be an indication of over-watering, over-fertilizing, damage to the root system, and other nutritional deficiencies.
- Declines: Ash trees are very susceptible to declines. It may look like any number of other diseases, but may combine several “symptoms”. This may include stunted growth, dieback, leaf scorch, and more.
- Diplodia Blight: Pine trees are at risk for this disease. It can be seen as over-watering or under-watering as during a drought. However, the symptoms can last for years after the problem goes away.
Does the City of Bellevue Provide Any Assistance in Tree Removal Problems?
In Bellevue, there are public tree services available. For instance, after a severe storm, there may be easy access to a Tree Dump so that you can clean up your property more easily. As per section 29.5-12 of the city codes, the city can issue notices to your neighbors if there is a dead, dangerous, or diseased tree that has you concerned.
Beyond those two programs, there are financial assistance programs available from the Nebraska Forest Service in some areas. Though none are mentioned specifically for Sarpy County or Bellevue, it may still be worth giving them a call if you have serious tree issues. They may at least be able to tell you who to contact.
Who Is Responsible For Fallen Tree Removal in Bellevue?
The Bellevue Public Works Department is available to take care of overhanging trees, branches, and other obstructions or hazards if it crosses over to public properties. What if it is on private property? Do you know who is responsible for a fallen tree or other hazardous trees? It’s not always as simple as most people expect it to be.
If you’re a homeowner?
Bellevue is protective of its trees. Therefore, you may need a permit if you plan to remove a tree that is still standing. However, according to Sec. 37-11, it is illegal for you, as a homeowner, to allow a dead, fatally diseased, or structurally weak tree to remain standing if it is a menace to the safety of others.
Therefore, it should be assumed that if a tree falls on your property, you are the one responsible for cleaning it up and repairing the damages to your property.
If you’re a renter?
In general, renters do not ever have the ability to remove items or permanently alter the property in any way. Your responsibilities as a tenant extend only to:
- Keeping the unit clean
- Keeping the unit safe
- Getting rid of the garbage in a clean and safe way
- Repair damages caused by you or guests
If you’re a landlord?
As a landlord and property owner, a large majority of the rental property will be your responsibility. This does include keeping the home up to the local housing code standards that address health and safety and making all necessary repairs. If a tree falls and poses a risk to safety or property, you will need to contact us to take care of it.
If you’re a neighbor?
In Nebraska, the fence laws show that every person is responsible for their fence. They must keep it in good repair and remove tree limbs that may hang over or damage the fences. If your neighbor does not trim their trees, you are allowed to if it comes onto your property, as long as you do not kill the tree. You cannot remove limbs from the fence.
To further complicate things, you will find that in sections 34-112.01, you can maintain or repair your fence by entering their property, but you cannot remove trees or limbs while standing on their property. So what if the tree falls?
Though there are no laws that specifically clarify who is responsible for tree cleanup, it can be assumed that you are responsible for damages to your property, even if it is your neighbor’s tree. However, this changes if you can prove that they knew the tree was sick or dying. In this case, they may be responsible.
How Does the Soil Affect Trees in Bellevue?
In Sarpy County, there are a variety of soil types. The type of soil can tell a lot about tree health in the Bellevue area. Mostly what you will find here is:
- Carr-Ticonic-Scroll Complex: This soil is prone to flooding sometimes.
- Onawa Silty Clay: This soil is mostly found in poorly drained areas or flood plains.
- Pohocco-Monona Silt: This soil does flood occasionally.
- Gilliam-Onawa Complex: This soil can flood and erode occasionally.
- Udorthents-Urban Land Pohocco Complex: This soil is good for preventing erosion and may prevent some flooding. Therefore, it is great to mix into other soils.
- Urban Land-Udorthents-Marshall Complex: This soil is usually well-draining. It is often covered by buildings or pavement to prevent erosion.
Even with the rolling hills that you will find in Bellevue, there does seem to be a variety of soils that may allow flooding. Therefore, you may want to plant trees that you know will do well in the area. They are:
- Birch
- Ash
- Buckeye
- Cottonwood
- Coffeetree
- Chokecherry
- Elms
- And others
Does Weather Affect Tree Health in Bellevue?
From very warm summers to freezing winters, Bellevue has it all. A majority of the rain will fall during the month of June, though rains may roll in anytime between April and October. Snow is possible at any time between October and April. This is pretty good for trees, except for those that are planted in soil that does not drain well. Therefore, to combat the moisture, you may want to take steps to improve your soil and make it more able to get rid of some water.
However, there are sometimes severe weather issues that can also negatively affect your trees. Thunderstorms with excessive winds, blizzards, flooding, hail, ice storms, winter storms, strong winds, it is all possible in Bellevue.
What If Dead Trees Are Near Power Lines in Bellevue?
If you have trees near a power line or know where there are dead trees near them, getting help is important. If you get power from Omaha Public Power District (OPPD), you will want to call them for assistance. They will assist you with trimming and removal when needed. They will also be able to temporarily reroute dangerous electricity to keep everyone safe.
You can also call the public works department for Bellevue if it is not an emergency. If there is an emergency or an imminent risk to personal safety, then you may even call 911 for help.
How Much Does Tree Removal Usually Cost in Bellevue?
In Bellevue, NE, the average cost of tree removal will be between $190.00 and $1,880.00. Most homeowners end up paying approximately $585.00. Your cost could be more or less, depending on your situation and the trees you want to remove. The major cost factors for tree removal are size, circumstances, and labor.
Size
You should always expect a larger tree to cost more. They are more difficult for our teams to remove and may require permits if they are protected and healthy. If your tree is smaller than 10-feet tall, then you will have a cheaper removal.
Circumstances
When we say circumstances, we mean the tree’s position on your property. Our goal is to bring it down as safely as possible without damaging fences, buildings, power lines, etc. The more of these things you have around your tree, the more your cost for removal will be. These removals may require us to have more people and more equipment available to take care of it.
Labor
Every tree removal requires a couple of people to be there for safety. You are expected to pay the labor cost. Slower tree removals and having more professionals on the job will raise the cost. You should also expect to pay more if you are seeking our tree removal services during weekends, holidays, or after storms.
