Contents (Click To Jump)
- 1 What Are the Most Common Tree Issues in Killeen?
- 2 Does the City of Killeen Provide Any Assistance in Tree Removal Problems?
- 3 Who Is Responsible for Fallen Tree Removal in Killeen?
- 4 How Does the Soil Affect Trees in Killeen?
- 5 Does Weather Affect Tree Health in Killeen?
- 6 What If Dead Trees Are Near Power Lines in Killeen?
- 7 How Much Does Tree Removal Usually Cost in Killeen?
What Are the Most Common Tree Issues in Killeen?
Oak Wilt is one of the most destructive tree diseases in the City of Killeen and Bell County. This infectious fungal disease is responsible for killing more than one million trees in Central Texas. The vascular disease is caused by Bretziella fagacearum, a fungus that attacks the tree’s water-conducting systems. The disease affects all oak species, but the red oaks are particularly vulnerable. White and bur oaks are resistant, while the live oaks are moderately susceptible.
Red oaks—Spanish oak, Shumard oak, and blackjack oak—typically die within 2 to 4 weeks of infection. The disease spreads through sap-feeding beetles that are attracted to sweet-smelling fungal mats. The fungus clings to the beetle’s body and is distributed to the next tree as the beetles feed on wounded trees.
Sudden Oak Death is another problematic fungal disease affecting trees in Killeen caused by Phytophthora ramorum. The wind-blown pathogen affects more than 100 forest trees and woody species and produces two devastating diseases: foliar blight and bark cankers. Depending on the tree species, symptoms range from leaf spots, branch, and shoot dieback to tree death. Bark cankers kill the tree host while foliar blights serve as a pathogen reservoir, further spreading the infestation.
Some of the common tree pests in the city of Killeen include strippers, such as lace bugs and spider mites, and suckers, such as aphids and scales. Chewers include bagworms, tent caterpillars, juniper budworms, and fall webworms. Borers create small holes in the trunks and include cottonwood borer, redheaded ash borer, emerald ash borer, and gum bumelia borer.
Does the City of Killeen Provide Any Assistance in Tree Removal Problems?
While Killeen doesn’t offer tree removal services, it provides brush collection services once a week. The city requires tree limbs, brush, and tree trunks to be less than 12 feet in length and placed within 3 feet of the curb on collection days. The pile must not be mixed with other waste and should be at least four feet away from the rollout container. Your pile of brush shouldn’t be more than six cubic yards or 4×4×12 feet. Brush pile above 6 yards attracts an extra brush collection fee.
Who Is Responsible for Fallen Tree Removal in Killeen?
Killeen City holds the property owner responsible for the removal of a fallen tree on private property. The property owner is also liable for the cost of debris removal and any property damage that results. That means they should also compensate the neighbors for any damage to their property as well. But that’s where things get dicey. Tree removal has a huge cost implication, and this triggers a lot of animosity between neighbors.
Many considerations also come into play while trying to determine the party responsible for removing a fallen tree. Let’s dig in and establish the responsibilities of a property owner, landlord, tenant, and neighbors in dealing with a fallen tree.
If You’re a Homeowner?
You’re responsible for removing all the fallen trees within your property lines. You’ll incur all the costs associated with the removal, including the log splitting, wood chipping, and carting away the debris. Check with your insurance company if your policy covers fallen tree removals. Depending on the coverage, your insurer might cover some fraction or the entire tree removal bill. It’s best to hire our professional arborist when dealing with a fallen tree on your property. We can help salvage a fallen tree by trimming it to avoid further damage, disease infestation, and give it an aesthetically pleasing shape.
If You’re a Renter?
You should contact your landlord to remove a fallen tree on a rental property. Texan law places such responsibilities on the property owner. Therefore, you should alert the landlord, who should then call us to remove the trees. The landlord should incur all the costs associated with removing the trees and shouldn’t pass them on to the tenant. Unless, of course, they can prove that the tenant’s action caused the tree to fall. In that case, the landlord has a legal recourse to pursue damage from the tenant.
If You’re a Landlord?
Under Texas Tree Laws, property owners are solely responsible for tree maintenance on their property. Therefore, a landlord is on the hook for trimming, pruning, removing, and treating infested trees. They’re also charged with routine landscaping duties to keep the property neat and habitable. Contact us for speedy and professional removal of a fallen tree and the necessary cleanup and restoration.
If You’re a Neighbor?
Tree disputes among neighbors are a common occurrence and have given rise to some high-profile lawsuits. Texas tree laws state that a tree owner is liable for any damage or costs associated with their trees. If a tree you own outright falls into the neighboring property, you’re liable for its removal and associated costs. Your neighbor might pursue compensation for any resultant damages.
A fallen boundary tree is another matter altogether. If the trunk of a tree stands partly on two adjoining properties, both parties own the trees. It follows that you and your neighbor should share the cost of removal. It’s advisable to hire our professionals to ensure that the damaged tree is trimmed properly to eliminate future risk and property damage.
How Does the Soil Affect Trees in Killeen?
Since the City of Killeen is in Western Bell County, it sits in the Grand Prairie. The soils in Bell County range from deep to shallow and lie on a hard or soft limestone plain. The landscape ranges from hilly to undulating and is dissected by many streams. The Upland areas have dark, grayish alkaline clay soils, while some regions have light-colored loamy soils over a chalky limestone plain. The bottomland soils, especially along the Brazos and red rivers, are clays and reddish silt loams. But some areas have clay soils and dark-gray loams.
These soils vary in color, texture, fertility, water holding capacity, pH, nutrients, and more, determining the type of tree they can support. Soils determine the nutrient availability, rooting system establishment, and the animal and insect population present in an area. The pH is a primary consideration when planting trees, because some species thrive in acidic soils while others prefer alkaline soils. Planting trees in an improper soil environment leads to less than optimal growth.
Does Weather Affect Tree Health in Killeen?
The city of Killeen has warm and temperate weather with a lot of rain even in the driest months. The winters are short, windy, and cold. The area receives an average of 35.3 inches of rainfall, and the temperature ranges from 94.7 °F to 37.8 °F but rarely falls below 27 °F.
While snow poses no threat to growing trees in the city of Killeen, the high-temperature variations could affect growth vigor and stress them out. The low rainfall could lead to water stress and reduce the growth rate.
Hot and dry weather can pose a grave threat to trees, because it weakens the trees, making them susceptible to pests and diseases. Susceptible trees are unable to shake off a pest or disease infestation, leading to their eventual death.
What If Dead Trees Are Near Power Lines in Killeen?
The National Electric Safety Code requires power companies to inspect and maintain the powerlines. It also outlines the responsibilities of a power company in keeping the public safe.
Some of these responsibilities include trimming and removing trees that pose a danger to powerlines. If you spot dead trees near powerlines, you should report the matter to the local power company. Given the inherent risk that high voltage power lines pose, you shouldn’t attempt to cut down the trees.
As part of its mandate in keeping the public safe, the power company cuts such hazards trees free of charge. Depending on the proximity of the trees, it might be necessary to shut down power to the affected lines before tree removal. The power company personnel can access your property with or without prior notice to remove dead trees. However, it’s your duty as the property owner to clean up after the power company cuts down eliminates the fire hazards.
The power company will only remove dead trees that interfere with electric utility lines that run from pole to pole. The utility company won’t trim or remove trees that threaten the line running from the pole to your house. However, you can count on our licensed arborists to help you remove dead trees from the powerline running into your home.
How Much Does Tree Removal Usually Cost in Killeen?
Tree removal is often a costly undertaking. A typical tree removal job in Killeen will cost you anywhere between $250 to $1,890, with most people paying around $670. Since tree removal is a delicate process, we price each job according to its unique circumstances. But no matter how you look at it, tree removal in Killeen is an expensive project.
Here are some of the key factors that influence the cost of tree removal jobs and how they affect pricing.
Safety Concerns
Job safety is a primary concern for each tree removal job. We will charge more to cut down a tree if our service evaluation deems a tree health and safety risk. Some safety concerns that increase the cost of removal include:
- Proximity to utility lines
- Poor tree condition, such as multiple dead branches
- Risk location, such as sandwiched between two houses
- Time and labor necessary to fell the tree
- Removing such trees calls for heavy equipment like cranes and bucket trucks that add to the cost
The Tree Itself
We consider the tree’s height, diameter, condition, location, and species when pricing a removal job. Naturally, you’ll pay more to remove a tall tree because it is heavier and poses a bigger threat to neighboring property.
We use these size ranges as a guideline when pricing a job.
- Small (under 30 feet): $180 to $320
- Medium (30 to 40 feet): $360 to $640
- Large (60 to 80 feet): $540 to $960
- Extra-large (over 80 feet): $820 to $1,680 or more
Trees in poor condition due to rot, disease, or cavities may require additional support and precaution, further padding the cost or removal.
Scope of Service
Depending on what you wish to do with the cut wood, you may consider wood chipping or log splitting. Such services will add additional costs to your final bill. Naturally, you’ll pay more for a low-impact removal because it requires more effort and equipment. If necessary, we use rubber mats and plywood to reduce the impact on your turf and driveway. We also outfit our skid steers with low-impact landscape tracks to remove large materials over driveways and lawns.
