Contents (Click To Jump)
- 1 What Are the Most Common Tree Issues in McLean?
- 2 Does the City of McLean Provide Any Assistance in Tree Removal Problems?
- 3 Who Is Responsible For Fallen Tree Removal in McLean?
- 4 How Does the Soil Affect Trees in McLean?
- 5 Does Weather Affect Tree Health in McLean?
- 6 What If Dead Trees Are Near Power Lines in McLean?
- 7 How Much Does Tree Removal Usually Cost in McLean?
What Are the Most Common Tree Issues in McLean?
Around your McLean home, there’s probably a variety of trees that add shade and beauty to your property. We see a diverse selection of native and non-native trees in the area. Here are some of the trees we see most often in area yards:
- Eastern Redbud
- Honey Locust
- Longleaf Pine
- Loblolly Pine
- Eastern White Pine
- Red Spruce
- Bald Cypress
These trees can reach dizzying heights and appear majestic. This can make it difficult for a McLean homeowner to understand what happens when one of these massive trees becomes damaged and needs to be removed. Here are a few of the most common reasons for tree removal in the area.
Damage From Winter Weather
McLean is known for its winter wonderland with an average of more than 20 inches of snow each year. In the heart of the winter, the temperatures barely rise above freezing during the daylight hours and plunge into the low to mid-20s after the sun goes down.
These extremely low temperatures for extended periods of time create what’s known as a hard freeze. During a hard freeze, the soil freezes along with the moisture and nutrients in it. These are nutrients that the trees in your yard need to thrive and grow.
Some of your trees, such as the evergreens, won’t become damaged during this time. They will bounce back in the spring unless they’re young trees and it was harsher than normal winter.
Other trees might suffer damage or perish during a hard freeze. As spring arrives, your trees should bounce back and begin to grow again. A tree that doesn’t begin to grow again may have died during the hard freeze.
Occasionally, we get a call because a tree that began growing again in the spring suddenly stopped and began to wither. This tree was damaged during a hard freeze and a portion of the tree stopped processing nutrients. The damage spread, eventually killing the entire tree.
Insect and Pests Infestation
With the warm, humid springs and summers, McLean has a healthy insect population that plays an essential role in the local ecology. However, these bugs can spell disaster for the trees in your yard. Insects do damage to your trees in one of two ways.
Either the bugs want to live in your tree or use it as a food source. This isn’t a good deal for the trees. The insects that we see most often in McLean are:
- European Gypsy Moth
- Imported Fire Ant
- Asian Gypsy Moth
- Asian Longhorned Beetle
- European Cherry Fruit Fly
- European Grapevine Moth
- Light Brown Apple Moth
- Spotted Lanternfly
We often find that when one tree in a yard is suffering from an insect infestation, so are others in the immediate vicinity. Our team can treat a tree for an infestation if it’s caught early. To do this, you need to recognize the signs of an insect infestation. These include:
- Critters crawling on the tree or landing on it frequently
- Leaves that are discolored or misshapen
- Thinning leaf canopy
- Sudden lack of growth
- Missing bark on the trunk
- Smaller than normal leaves and limbs
While the list is long, there aren’t the only signs of insect damage. You might notice other things that you think might be signs of an infestation. Our team can evaluate the tree and make a treatment recommendation.
Does the City of McLean Provide Any Assistance in Tree Removal Problems?
As part of Fairfax County, McLean trees on public land are cared for by the city and the county. This can include an area of easement on your property that’s maintained by the county. However, a tree in your yard is almost always considered private property, and your responsibility to remove it, including making the arrangement and paying for its removal.
Who Is Responsible For Fallen Tree Removal in McLean?
In McLean, it is almost always the homeowner’s responsibility to remove a fallen tree from their yard. However, there are some situations where you might wonder who is the responsible party. In this section, we cover these situations:
If you’re a homeowner?
As the McLean homeowner, you’re almost always responsible for removing any fallen trees in your yard. You might be able to get the city or a utility company to remove it if the tree falls on an area of an easement.
If you’re a renter?
When you rent a home in the McLean area, you probably take care of mowing the grass and trimming the hedges. This doesn’t make you responsible for removing a fallen tree in the yard, but you do need to let the homeowner know as soon as you see any tree issues.
If you’re a landlord?
When you’re the landlord, you are also the homeowner. You might have a renter living in your McLean home, but you’re still responsible for removing a fallen tree from the yard.
If you’re a neighbor?
With such large trees in the area, a neighbor’s tree might fall and land in both of your yards. As a homeowner, you’re responsible for removing the part of the tree on your private property.
There is, however, one possible loophole. If your neighbor knew there was an issue with the fallen tree and didn’t attempt to mitigate the damage, they’re negligent in the tree’s fall.
This negligence also makes your neighbor liable for any damage to your home or property along with the removal of the tree. You could hire an attorney and battle it out in court, but we recommend talking with your neighbor first.
You might be able to work out a solution and maintain a friendly relationship. You may live next to each other for decades and you don’t want any hard feelings.
How Does the Soil Affect Trees in McLean?
The soil that we see most often in the McLean area is Pamunkey soil. This type of soil tends to run deep into the ground, so it’s more than topsoil. It also drains quickly, so it won’t leave your trees at a higher risk for root rot, a fungal disease.
Does Weather Affect Tree Health in McLean?
The McLean weather can affect tree health. The extreme winter temperatures leave your trees at risk for damage or death due to a hard freeze. The area is also prone to some violent storms.
A thunderstorm might lead to a lightning strike that damages a tree or splits down the middle. Another possibility is a tornado during one of these storms. Between 1950 and 2010, McLean saw 43 tornadoes touch down.
A tornado brings wind speeds of up to 300 mph and a massive debris field. Your trees can’t stand up to wind that strong. If you think a tree has been damaged due to weather, our team can examine it and make recommendations for the right course of action.
What If Dead Trees Are Near Power Lines in McLean?
You should never approach a dead tree that’s on a power line. It’s a dangerous situation and you should call emergency services immediately. Even if the tree is near a power line, you need a professional company like Tree Triage to safely remove it. We cannot stress enough how dangerous a live power line is with a tree lying on it.
When a tree sits near a power line, it’s possible on an easement, and you can get the power company to remove it. Otherwise, the dead tree in your McLean yard is on private property and you need to contact us to handle its removal.
How Much Does Tree Removal Usually Cost in McLean?
This is the question that we hear most often from McLean homeowners and we can’t provide you with an exact cost. The cost of tree removal in the area is between $190 and $1,965 with an average of around $575. While the city, county, and state don’t require a permit to remove a tree, there are other cost factors such as:
Wood Chips and Firewood
When cutting down a tree, many of our McLean customers want us to either split the wood for firewood or to run it through a wood chipper. You can use the wood chips as mulch around your yard to help your trees and other greenery to grow.
Stump Removal
Some McLean homeowners want us to remove the stump along with the tree. A stump can be an eyesore in your yard. This takes more time and additional equipment to accomplish, increasing your final bill, usually by around $200.
Tree Condition
When a tree dies, there might be areas of decay that aren’t stable. Cutting down a tree increases the chance that these areas might crumble, launching the tree above in an uncontrolled fall. This can cause damage to your home and other trees. We need additional equipment and time to ensure this doesn’t happen.
