What Is Tree Removal?

Why Is Tree Removal Important?

There are multiple reasons why it’s important to remove trees from your property.

Aside from the aesthetic reasons, removing trees is a normal part of owning property and it’s important to understand why you shouldn’t wait to remove trees that are dying, sick, or hazardous.

Below a certified arborist from Tree Triage discusses some of the key signs that it’s time to remove a tree.

Your Dead Tree is a Safety Hazard

One of the key reasons why tree removal is important is because dead trees pose a safety hazard. They can fall at any time (as can their branches) and they can knock down power lines, wires, or even injure someone when they do.

This is why calling in a professional tree removal service like us is the right thing to do before the wind picks up one night and sends that tree falling in a dangerous direction.

Leaving a dead tree standing puts your home, personal property (like cars and boats), and even lives at unnecessary risk. Don’t risk property damage or the safety of your loved ones. When it’s time to bring it down, give us a call for professional tree and stump removal services.

Tree Pruning Sometimes Isn’t Enough

Over the years it’s quite common to discover that a tree you love has outgrown its location. 

Perhaps you’ve become tired of trimming it every spring, only to find it still filling your roof’s gutters with leaves and twigs. 

Sometimes tree limbs continue to grow in a direction that creates a safety hazard (think: branches that refuse to avoid power lines or your home’s windows) and it becomes more of a safety concern to leave the tree standing.

When you’ve tried everything you can to prune the tree and help it grow in a better direction but it continues to pose a hazard to your home or your property, it might be time to have the tree removed.

When it’s time to take that tree down and you need a professional to assess factors like the height of the tree and if it requires stump removal— give us a call.

Some Trees Are Unmanageable or Inhibit The Habitat

Often times on well-forested lots, trees will grow faster than the owners can cull them. Healthy tree care extends to not only the tree itself but to the (forested) area around it.

The Forestry Service tags trees it’s ready to cull so that the healthy trees and associated undergrowth can gather the most amount of sunlight possible.

If you have a situation like this, call in one of our certified professionals, so they can give you a greater understanding of how these plants all work together to create a healthy, thriving ecosystem (for plants AND animals).

As experienced professionals, we try to avoid cutting down trees unnecessarily. But when it’s truly time for a tree to be removed, we’ll come up with a plan that suits your property needs and will encourage your yard and its natural habitat to thrive.

Just take a look at this video of a professional removing a giant dead maple tree. In this instance, this dead maple could be hindering the environment around it and pose a hazard to the habitat if it continued to rot. 

This is a perfect example of an instance when removing the tree is the best thing for the habitat.

When Should You Contact A Professional Tree Service?

If you’re thinking about having a tree removed or you’re concerned about the well-being of one of your trees there are several key signs you can look for that indicate it’s time to call in one of our professionals.

When You Notice A Tree Is Dead (Or Dying)

If you suspect a tree is dead or dying, here are a few ways to check the general health. If you notice any of these signs, it’s time to call a professional.

• An infestation of beetles and/or carpenter ants. These insects feed on dead, or dying trees. Remember bark beetles can spread to other trees, and the carpenter ants will follow.
• Fungus, or mushrooms growing at the base of the tree or from the roots. This is often a sign of root rot.
• An overabundance of dead branches and thinning leaves.
• Cankers (localized areas of discoloration) could be a sign of fungal or bacterial infection.

If the bark of your tree seems particularly brittle and you suspect the tree is dying you can conduct a ‘scratch test.’ 

Remove a small piece of bark to expose the cambium layer. Then take a knife or other implement to scratch the exposed surface. 

It should be green and moist, not brown and dry. 

Repeat this test in a number of areas to assess the health of the whole tree.

When You Notice A Tree Leaning Or Creating A Potential Hazard 

Often when trees lean more than 15 degrees it’s a sign of structural or root damage. This could be related to wind damage, disease(s), pest infestation, or just an odd growth pattern.

If you notice a sudden or even a more gradual lean, it’s time to take a critical look at the health of that tree.

When You Can’t Safely Remove The Tree

Remember, safety is always first. Things like gravity and chainsaws are extremely dangerous and unforgiving when not respected or handled properly. This is almost never a job for just one person. And it’s especially not a job for one person with no experience in this area.

Also, tree removal companies like ours have larger pieces of gear like chainsaws, harness rigging, extension ladders, chippers, and stump grinders (even buckets and cranes if needed!) — that are not usual household tools but are incredibly important when safely removing a tree.

*If your trees are tangled in power lines, or need a service prune around power lines, please call your utility service provider first!

What Should You Look For In A Tree Removal Service?

Working with tree removal professionals shouldn’t be a difficult process. When we work with our clients, we do our best to make sure we answer all of their questions and handle their concerns with care.

If you’re ready to hire someone to come and safely remove a tree from your property, it’s always best to make sure you have a list of concerns that you can address before you get started. It’s your property after all! 

Always look for a professional, licensed, and experienced service provider who is eager to answer your questions and can assess your unique situation carefully.

Be sure to look for some references or reviews of their past work as well, and ask them how they plan to take care of the other parts of your property before, during, and after the tree is removed as well. 

You don’t want to have the tree removed and then have a huge mess on your lawn to clean up, and a good professional will know how to prevent that from happening.

If you’re looking for a tree removal service provider who will help you carefully remove a tree from your property, don’t hesitate to reach out to us to get an assessment from one of our seasoned professionals.