Nobody wants a dying tree in their yard. Not only do dying, or dead, trees present a higher chance of falling during a wind storm, but dying trees also attract various insects and critters that you want to keep away from your property – such as termites! In fact, if a dead tree happened to cause damage to your property or a neighbor’s property, the insurance company may give you a hard time on the claim. If you’re a homeowner and you’re concerned about the trees in your yard, or if you’re thinking about purchasing a home, look for these easy-to-identify signs to gauge the health of the trees!
#1 – Examine the Bark
The bark of a tree tells a story. If the bark is falling off the tree, the tree is not in good health. The bark should be hard and should not easily fall off the tree if you pull it slightly or hit it.
#2 – Look for Sticks on the Ground
If sticks just keep falling off the tree, the tree is not in good health. It’s normal for sticks to fall off due to weather, such as a heavy wind storm, but if sticks are falling off with a slight breeze, or for no good reason, there is something going on – and it’s not good!
#3 – A Leaning Tree
Ideally, the tree should stand straight up, and shouldn’t favor one side. If the tree happens to be leaning to one side, all hope is not lost. You may be able to rebalance the weight of the tree if you take weight (or branches) off of one side. Generally speaking, that job is best saved for the professionals.
#4 – Open Wounds
A tree can have an open wound for a variety of reasons – mostly caused by weather. However, these wounds do not heal themselves and often cause damage to the tree that is beyond repair. If you have an open wound on a branch, you can have that branch removed which can often help save the tree. But if the trunk has an open wound, the tree is likely in bad health and should be removed.
#5 – Insect Infestation
If the tree is infested with insects, such as termites, it is likely dead or soon to be dead. The best thing you can do at this point is to completely remove the tree and have your property treated for termites – as those insects can cause a great deal of damage to your deck, home, or other trees in your yard!
# 6 – Check the Leaves
If the tree doesn’t have leaves, or if there are sections of the tree that do not have leaves and other sections that do, the tree is sick. There are a variety of reasons why one side of the tree may be sick and the other side is healthy – and it typically has to do with root damage. However, depending on the severity of the issue, it may be beyond repair.
#7 – Fungus
Fungus on a tree is never a good thing. There are fungus-killing applications one could apply to their trees, but before paying for that application check with a tree professional to see if the tree is able to be saved. Oftentimes, the fungus leads to rot – which is beyond repair.
Do You Have a Dead or Dying Tree?
If you live in New Haven or Fairfield County and believe you have a dead or dying tree in your yard, call us. We’d be more than happy to inspect the tree to see if there are any options or treatments that would save the tree’s life. After all, we truly do appreciate the beauty and benefits of having trees on our properties and would do all we can to keep your trees healthy and on your land. However, if they need to be removed, we’ll be able to provide you with a quote within 24 hours to completely remove the tree and stump. No homeowner wants to deal with the risks a dead tree presents, or the various other side effects that come from having a dead tree on the property.