Contents (Click To Jump)
- 1 What Are the Most Common Tree Issues in Temple?
- 2 Does the City of Temple Provide Any Assistance in Tree Removal Problems?
- 3 Who Is Responsible for Fallen Tree Removal in Temple?
- 4 How Does the Soil Affect Trees in Temple?
- 5 Does Weather Affect Tree Health in Temple?
- 6 What if Dead Trees Are Near Power Lines in Temple?
- 7 How Much Does Tree Removal Usually Cost in Temple?
What Are the Most Common Tree Issues in Temple?
The trees in your Temple yard add beauty and increase your curb appeal. Our team sees a variety of native and non-native trees in the yards around the area. The ones that we most commonly see include:
- Sugarberry
- Cedar Elm
- Post Oak
- Afghan Pine
- Bird of Paradise
- Chinese Pistache
- Pecan
- Texas Mountain Laurel
The pine trees can grow to extraordinary heights, while the oak trees offer an impressive presence. When one of these trees dies or becomes damaged, Temple homeowners struggle with understanding what went wrong. The most common tree issues that we see in the area are:
Damage from Storms
In the spring and fall, as the temperatures change, the area sees more than a few violent storms. Everything is bigger in Texas, and that can include the thunderstorms that roll through the area.
With these storms comes lightning. Whether lightning strikes a tree directly or nearby, it can damage or kill one of the trees in your Temple yard. You might have a direct lightning strike that splits one of your trees in half.
Thunderstorms also bring the possibility of a tornado. Between 1950 and 2010, the Temple area saw 60 tornadoes of category two or higher. This is an average of over one a year.
The funnel of a tornado brings winds of up to 300 miles an hour that pull items from the bottom towards the top. As the tornado moves and disputes, items come out of the funnel at high speeds, creating a debris field.
Even if your Temple home isn’t in the path of a tornado, you can get tree damage if you’re in the debris field. This field can extend up to a mile on either side of the path of the funnel and up to 50 miles behind it.
If you think a tree has been damaged in a storm, our team can check and make a recommendation.
Damage from Insects and Other Pests
When spring arrives, the warm, humid conditions create a haven for insects and pests. While these critters are essential to the ecosystem, they are a terror for the trees in your Temple yard. These bugs are looking to turn your tree into a home or food source. Either way, it isn’t good news for the tree. The insects that we see most commonly in the area include:
- Asian Gypsy Moth
- Asian Longhorned Beetle
- Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle
- European Cherry Fruit Fly
- Spotted Lanternfly
The bad news is that these pests very rarely infest only a single tree. By the time you start noticing signs of a problem, these bugs are already infesting a few trees in your yard.
There is good news. If an insect infestation is caught early, there are treatments available. You need to know the signs of an infestation to do this. Here are a few of the most common:
- Insects or other pests on the tree or swarming nearby
- Leaves that are misshapen or discolored
- New leaves and limbs that are smaller than average
- Hole and channels in the trunk
- Bald patches in the trunk
- Fewer leaves in the canopy
If you notice any signs of insect infestation, act immediately. Our team can evaluate the situation and make recommendations for treatment or removal.
Does the City of Temple Provide Any Assistance in Tree Removal Problems?
The city of Temple takes responsibility and assists in the removal of any trees that are on public land. This can include an easement on your land, typically close to the road. However, most of the trees in your yard are on private land. This means the city won’t provide any assistance for removing a damaged or dead tree.
Who Is Responsible for Fallen Tree Removal in Temple?
When we get calls from local homeowners and others, the first thing they want to know is who is responsible for removing a fallen tree. We hear about a variety of specific circumstances. This section covers the responsible party in the special situations that we hear about from Temple locals:
If you’re a homeowner?
As a Temple homeowner, it’s your responsibility to remove any trees that have fallen on your private property. You might be able to get the city or one of the local utility companies to remove it if it’s on an area of an easement.
If you’re a renter?
When you rent a home in Temple, your lease might make you responsible for the yard work, such as raking leaves, mowing the grass, and sweeping the driveway and walkway. A fallen tree is the responsibility of the homeowner to remove, but you do need to let them know about any issues with a tree as soon as you notice it.
If you’re a landlord?
Most Temple landlords are also the homeowner. This makes you the responsible party for removing a fallen tree from the property even if someone else is living in the home.
If you’re a neighbor?
It happens more often than you might think. A tree falls in your neighbor’s yard and partially lands in your own. You’re responsible for the removal of the tree section that’s in your yard.
There is the chance that your Temple neighbor knew that there was a problem with the tree and didn’t act to remove it. This negligence can make your neighbor liable for any damage done to your home and property when the tree fell.
This also makes your neighbor liable for removing the entire tree. You might need to live next to your neighbor for a long time, so you might consider talking with them before taking any action. It’s much better if the two of you work it out between yourselves.
How Does the Soil Affect Trees in Temple?
In Temple, the two most common soil types that we see in yards are Alfisol and Vertisol. Both of these soil types are clay-based and might not drain as well as you want them to, which can leave your trees at risk for root rot, a fungal disease that can kill or damage a tree.
Does Weather Affect Tree Health in Temple?
Yes, the weather in Temple can affect the health of the trees in your yard. The spring and fall weather is the ideal time for thunderstorms in the area. These storms bring lightning that can damage or kill a tree.
There’s also the chance of a tornado that can destroy your home and all the trees in your yard in just a few minutes. The debris field can also blow items into your tree at high speed, damaging them or killing them.
Although the winters in the area are moderate, there are always a few days or weeks of freezing weather. When these temperatures arrive, they bring a hard freeze. A hard freeze can block your trees from getting the nutrients and moisture they need. In the spring, you might find that one of the trees has perished from a hard freeze.
What if Dead Trees Are Near Power Lines in Temple?
When you see a dead tree on a power line, you need to contact Temple emergency services. A dead tree near the power line needs to be removed by a professional. This minimizes the risk of the tree falling on the power line during removal.
A tree that’s close to a power line might be on an easement, and you can get the tree removed by the power company. Otherwise, it’s your responsibility to contact us to have it removed.
How Much Does Tree Removal Usually Cost in Temple?
Homeowners need to know how much tree removal is going to cost, but we can’t give you a definitive cost until we see the tree. The cost of tree removal in the area ranges between $165 and $2,135, with an average cost of around $550 in Temple. While you don’t need a permit, there are factors to consider:
Tree Condition
Sometimes, a tree decays as it begins to die. These decayed sections can crumble into themselves. If there’s a lot of decay, there’s a chance that it might crumble, bringing the entire tree down. We need to control how the tree comes down to do it safely. Our team needs to take more time and precautions when the tree is in bad shape.
Tree Location
When a tree is close to your Temple home or amid other trees, our team needs to remove it without damaging your house or other trees. This takes extra time and equipment.
Other Services
Our team can provide additional services when we remove a tree from your Temple yard. We can remove the stump or put the tree through a wood chipper. The resulting wood chips are an excellent mulch for use around your yard.
