Frequently Asked Questions

We receive numerous questions about trees, from pruning to diseases, and the services that we offer. Below you’ll find several of our most frequently asked questions as well as their answers:

Our exterminator recommended that we cut back some of our trees away from our house. Can you help us with that?

Certainly. Tree trimming is an important way to keep your home and roof safe. Tree branches that touch your roof may allow insects and rodents access to your home, as well as leave your roof susceptible to damage from the branches in rough weather. We know the healthy way to cut your trees back so they can continue to grow and remain a beautiful feature of your landscaping.

Is tree topping a recommended solution for trees close to my home? 

This may be answered with a yes or no; it will depend first on the type of tree you have close to your home. In most cases topping a conifer (evergreen) is not a recommended. A conifer may actually become more dangerous over time if it has been topped, as well as an eyesore in your landscaping. Deciduous trees (leaf shedding) in some cases may be topped and pruned. Any tree that has been topped or pruned will in most cases require yearly trimming to maintain size and shape.

My cedar tree is looking strange with all this dead foliage, is there something wrong with it?

Not necessarily, all evergreens shed in the fall twenty to twenty five per cent of their foliage. Check your Cedar tree against the neighboring Cedar trees. A visual comparison will allow you to determine if your tree may be experiencing any abnormal amount of shedding.

We think our tree may be sick is there a way we can tell? 

Definitely. Compare your tree to others like it in the area. Check the foliage on your tree is it as green and thick as the neighboring trees? Check on and around your tree for excessive sap and/or sawdust. Both of these conditions individually and together may indicate an internal problem with the health of your tree. A major factor in the health of a tree is landscaping. Any changes to the drip line around your trees in the past five years may have a devastating effect on their health and well being.

The woodpeckers are drilling holes in the bark on our tree are they going to kill the tree?  

Interestingly enough, there are different reasons you may have a woodpecker visiting your tree. A Northern Flicker, will visit your trees looking for the bark beetle larva or the ants living just under the thick layer of bark. They do not drill holes into the cambium of the tree their interest is in what is living in or just under the thick bark. The Flicker actually prefers to find its food on the ground. Red Breasted Sap Suckers will drill actual holes in the tree to make it weep sap thus attracting bugs for them to eat. Overtime this may become harmful to the tree itself. The Pileated Wood Pecker (large bird black body with red crown) will actually excavate a living tree to go after termites and carpenter ants living within the tree. In this case you have a tree with problems you have yet to notice, however the Pileated Woodpecker knows this tree is harboring a secret. Other wood peckers in our area are the Downy & Hairy which usually occur together. The Hairy forages in close association with the Pileated. Taking insects the larger bird missed. The Downy feeds on sources of food the larger birds cannot such as insect fauna.

City Ordinances

Each city has very different tree ordinances and while these links are a good reference, they are open to interpretation. Before removing a tree that has a questionable status you should call your City Permit or Public Works Department for clarification.