Dead trees are dangerous. It’s tempting for any homeowner to try and just look past them and hope that they’ll rot away peacefully and leave everyone alone … but that isn’t how things go (ever). A dead tree on your property is not only an inconvenient eyesore, it’s also a very real risk to you, your family, your pets, your neighbors, your property, your other trees, and potentially your whole community. A dead tree needs to be dealt with, and it needs to be taken seriously.
Falling Limbs, Falling Tree
First and foremost, a dead tree is a risk for falling. A tree that has died has lost (or is quickly losing) its structural integrity. That means it’s only a matter of time until branches break off, the trunk collapses, or the tree is uprooted completely. In this sense, a dead tree is basically a ticking time bomb. The question isn’t IF a limb will break off and fall, or the tree will break or fall, but WHEN. The only IF we can ask is if anyone will get seriously hurt when it happens. Heavy limbs can injure people or pets, or can cause significant damage to property — yours, your neighbor’s, or the community’s.
Having a dead tree removed means that you get to deal with it on your terms and on your timeline. Otherwise, you’ll still have to deal with it, but you won’t get to decide when or how.
Infections, Infestations, Mold Growth, and Critters
Even if you get very, very lucky, and the big branches that fall off of your dead tree manage not to fall on any people or property, and no one gets hurt by your dead tree at all, it’s still a major hazard. That’s because dead trees are literal breeding grounds for disease, molds, and a variety of animals and insects. Out in the forest, decaying trees are a vital part of the ecosystem for just this reason — they give homes and food to insect larvae; host molds that breakdown the tree, turning it back into soil that nourishes the forest floor, fostering new life; and provide shelter for all sorts of woodland creatures. (And these woodland creatures aren’t all the cute and fuzzy kind. Animals such as rats, wasps, skunks, possums, and raccoons can shelter in dead trees, and they bring their own risks along with them.) But whether it’s insects, critters, or mold, it may not be the sort of woodsy scene you have in mind for your own backyard. Especially if it starts to spread throughout your yard or into the neighborhood.
Molds, insects, and disease infestations can easily spread to other trees, so your dead tree can act as a petri dish, breeding all sorts of undesirable things just across the way from other trees, bushes, and other plant life that you don’t want to be impacted by the sorts of things that are feasting on your dead tree. Removing a dead tree removes this risk from your yard, protecting the other greenery in your yard and throughout your neighborhood.
The sooner you deal with a dead tree, the easier it will be and the lower the risk. If you have a dead (or dying) tree on your property, call your local professional tree removal company, and ask them to explain how they can remove the tree. It’s worth taking care of it right away, before it causes harm to your loved ones, your home, your yard, or your other trees.
Here in Cincinnati, you can call us here at Tree Images. We are a professional tree service company, and we have the equipment and experience to remove your tree safely, efficiently, and with no hassle for you.
