Contents (Click To Jump)
- 1 What Are the Most Common Tree Issues in Los Lunas?
- 2 Does the City of Los Lunas Provide Any Assistance in Tree Removal Problems?
- 3 Who Is Responsible For Fallen Tree Removal in Los Lunas?
- 4 How Does the Soil Affect Trees in Los Lunas?
- 5 Does Weather Affect Tree Health in Los Lunas?
- 6 What if Dead Trees Are Near Power Lines in Los Lunas?
- 7 How Much Does Tree Removal Usually Cost in Los Lunas?
What Are the Most Common Tree Issues in Los Lunas?
When you own a home in Los Lunas, you want trees in your yard to add curb appeal and shade from the brutal heat. We see many homes with native trees growing in the yard and a few non-native ones in the area. Here are the trees that we see most often:
- Bigtooth maple
- Boxelder
- Chinese pistache
- Purple smoke tree
- Mexican elder
- Incense cedar
- Silverthorn
- Black locust
- Honey locust
- Japanese pagoda
- Kentucky coffee tree
- English walnut
All of these trees grow to an ample size and look like they’ll live forever. When one of them becomes damaged or diseased and needs to be removed, homeowners want to know what went wrong with their trees. The most common tree issues that we see in the area include:
Damage From Winter Weather
Although Los Lunas only sees a little over six inches of snow each year and has daytime temperatures over freezing most days, the nighttime temps plunge into the low to mid-teens. These long nights of freezing temperatures can create a condition known as a hard freeze.
During a hard freeze, the soil in your yard becomes frozen, and the trees can’t get the nutrients and moisture they need to thrive. Some evergreen trees can stand up easily to these conditions.
However, younger trees and saplings struggle during a hard freeze. When spring returns, you expect the trees in your yard to come roaring back to life and start growing again. A tree that doesn’t bounce back may have perished during a hard freeze.
Sometimes, you’ll have a tree in your Los Lunas yard that bounces back only to stop growing a month or two later. This happens when part of the tree was damaged and can no longer process nutrients. The damage spreads, killing the entire tree.
If you suspect a tree has suffered damage during a hard freeze, call our team to evaluate its condition.
Insect Infestation
With moderate temperatures throughout most of the year, Los Lunas is a hotspot for various insects and pests. These bugs can turn your trees into a hotel or a buffet. No matter their purpose in choosing a tree, these insects can damage or destroy a healthy tree. Here are some of the insects that we see more often than others in the area:
- Asian Gypsy Moth
- Asian Longhorned Beetle
- Emerald Ash Borer Beetle
- European Cherry Fruit Fly
- European Gypsy Moth
- Spotted Lanternfly
These critters don’t discriminate when it comes to trees, so when you see them on one tree, they’re probably infesting others. You can treat an insect infestation and save your tree. However, you need to catch the infestation early. Some signs of an insect infestation include:
- Bugs crawling on or swarming in the area of a tree
- Misshapen and discolored leaves
- Smaller than normal leaves and limbs
- Holes and channels in the trunk
- Smaller than normal canopy
- Stunted growth
- Weak spots and sunken areas
- Bald patches without bark
As soon as you start seeing signs of an infestation, our team can evaluate the tree or trees and advise you on the best course of treatment or removal.
Does the City of Los Lunas Provide Any Assistance in Tree Removal Problems?
The City of Los Lunas takes care of the trees on public land. They plant, trim, and remove trees. It also includes trees on an easement owned by the City. When it comes to trees in your yard, the trees are on private property, and the City won’t provide any assistance in removing the dead or damaged tree. As the homeowner, you need to take care of the issue.
Who Is Responsible For Fallen Tree Removal in Los Lunas?
At our Los Lunas office, we field many calls from locals dealing with a fallen tree. They always have a unique circumstance and want to know who the responsible party is for removing the tree. This section looks at a few of these circumstances and identifies the responsible party.
If You’re a Homeowner?
As the Los Lunas homeowner, you’re almost always the person responsible for removing a fallen tree in your yard. Your yard is considered private property. You may find that an area of your yard is an easement that the City or a utility company owns. They use this area for the public good. If the fallen tree is in this area, you can get the appropriate party to remove the fallen tree.
If You’re a Renter?
Some renters in the Los Lunas area take care of regular yard work, and it’s even written into your lease. While you’re responsible for mowing the grass and raking leaves, the homeowner is responsible for removing a fallen tree. You need to let the homeowner know if you see any issues or a fallen tree as soon as you can.
If You’re a Landlord?
When you’re the landlord and the homeowner, it’s your responsibility to remove the fallen tree from the yard. Even if you have someone else living in the home and tending to the yard, it’s on you to contact us to make arrangements and pay for its removal.
If You’re a Neighbor?
It happens more often than you might think. You go outside to see that one of your neighbor’s trees has fallen, and it’s in both of your yards. As a Los Lunas homeowner, you need to take care of removing the section of the tree that’s in your yard.
Occasionally, it comes to light that your neighbor knew the tree needed to be removed and didn’t do it. In this situation, your neighbor was negligent in their care of the tree. Consequently, they’re liable for any damage and for removing the tree from your yard.
Before you take legal action, you might consider meeting with your neighbor to see if you can work it out. If you can, it’ll help you maintain a friendly relationship with a neighbor that you might live next to for many years to come.
How Does the Soil Affect Trees in Los Lunas?
In Los Lunas, the soil type that we often see is Penistaja series soil, a loam soil. You can expect this soil to absorb the rain quickly, but it won’t drain it effectively. Loam soil can help in the summer months when there’s only an average of 12 days with precipitation.
Does Weather Affect Tree Health in Los Lunas?
Yes, the weather does affect the health of your trees in Los Lunas. The freezing nighttime temperatures will create hard freeze conditions that keep your trees from accessing the nutrients they need.
In the summer months, your trees might be faced with drought conditions. From June to August, the area sees only 12 days of rainfall. You need to mulch your yard, and you may need to water it, depending on the current watering restrictions.
What if Dead Trees Are Near Power Lines in Los Lunas?
Power lines and trees are a dangerous mixture. If you notice a dead tree lying on a power line, you need to go back inside your home for safety and call Los Lunas emergency services. Sometimes, a dead tree is only near a power line, but you still need to proceed with caution. You want to hire a professional who can remove it safely without the tree falling on the power line.
A dead tree that’s near a power line might be on an easement owned by the power company, and you can get them to remove it. Otherwise, it’s on you, as the Los Lunas homeowner, to remove it. We can help if the tree is not on an easement.
How Much Does Tree Removal Usually Cost in Los Lunas?
Many Los Lunas homeowners ask this question first. The truth is that we need to see the tree and evaluate its condition and other factors before telling you the exact cost. Removing a tree in the area fluctuates between $225 and $2,110, with an average price of about $620.
While the City doesn’t require a tree removal permit, there are other factors to consider:
Tree Size
When it comes to removing a tree, our team starts at the top, cutting the tree into manageable sections. For this reason, a larger tree costs more money to remove because of the additional time.
Tree Location
Especially in the newer subdivision in the area, a tree might sit close to a home, and we need to remove it without damaging your house. This requires additional time and safety measures.
Tree Condition
When a tree dies, and sometimes, before it does, it begins to decay. These decayed areas can collapse in on themselves, and we need to ensure this doesn’t happen during the tree removal, requiring more care and additional equipment.
