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1st Choice Tree Service

Don't Use Climbing Spikes When Pruning Trees

12/28/2014

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Is your tree care provider using spikes to climb while pruning your trees? Ouch!

Climbing spikes are sharpened steel spikes attached to the climber's leg by leather straps and padded supports. These spikes are traumatizing to your living tree and create unnecessary damage.

Each puncture from a climbing spike produces a certain amount of tree tissue death around it to some extent, varying from tree to tree. In most cases isolated wounds will seal, but over time, groupings of spike holes can cause the entire area on the trunk to die back with no chance of recovery.

The likelihood of piercing the cambium (living tissue beneath the bark) is high, even with larger trees and thick bark. If soon after the work is performed with spikes there is sap oozing from the wounds, the tree is responding to spike damage. Repeated damage of this type is harmful to the tree.

So why would climbers use spikes? The use of tree climbing spikes (spurs, hooks, gaff, irons, etc.) is a once-practiced method of climbing trees that has proven to be harmful to long-term tree health. The climber, using one leg at a time, will kick these spikes into the tree tissue and take alternate steps to ascend the tree - similar to climbing a ladder.

There are certain exceptions, when spikes are allowed, such as:
  • when the tree is being removed.
  • when branches are more than throwline distance apart and there is no other means of climbing the tree (for example: when there are no branches lower than 50 feet), with no access for an aerial lift device or crane.
  • if the tree is too close to power lines and cannot be accessed safely by other means.
  • to reach an injured climber.
Professional tree care companies are aware of the dangers of spikes and use proper tree equipment such as ropes and climbing harnesses to climb (or aerial lift devices and cranes if accessible). This, coupled with their training and experience, contributes to the future health of the tree.

Homeowners searching for qualified tree care companies should look for the following:  

  • Good References: Ask for references, and check on the quality of their work. Don't be rushed by a bargain and don't pay in advance.
  • Proof of Insurance: Ask for current certificates of liability and workers' compensation insurance, if applicable. Be aware that if the tree care company you hire doesn't have insurance or is not a legal company, you - the homeowner - could be held responsible as a contractor.
  • Solid Reputation: Verify professional affiliations the company might have, such as memberships in business and/or professional organizations such as the Tree Care Industry Association.
  • Up-to-Date Knowledge: Ask if they follow ANSI Standards. A professional arborist will be aware of the current safety, pruning, fertilizing, and cabling standards. 
  • Contract: Insist on a signed contract as to cost, dates when work is to be performed, and exactly what is to be done. Insist that climbing spikes are used only if the tree is to be cut down. 
Find a Professional
A professional can assess your landscape and work with you to determine the best trees and shrubs to plant for your existing landscape.

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6 Reasons Why You Should Remove Tree Stumps

12/16/2014

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Before you have a tree removal specialist cut down the dead tree in your yard, you'll need to decide whether the worker should remove the tree stump as well. If you're having a hard time making this judgment call, consider these factors when deciding what to do with the stump. 

  • Stumps aren't pretty. Aesthetically speaking, the sight of a stump definitely isn't appealing. If you're meticulous about your yard and landscaping, removing the stump is well worth it.
  • Stumps are hazardous. Stumps are dangerous to your children. When running and playing in your yard, they may not look for the stump and trip over it. And if a neighbor trips, it's a liability that falls into your hands. In addition, tree stumps can damage your mower if you accidentally hit one when you're mowing your lawn.
  • Stumps cause new tree growth. Sometimes leaving the stump behind contributes to new sprouts, which can result in many small trees growing around the stump. This is unsightly to your landscaping and quite costly to try to remove because the new shoots may keep coming back, and you may need chemicals to kill them off completely. These small trees also leech nutrients from other plants located near them, so your begonias may not receive all the nutrients they need.
  • Stumps are a pain to maneuver around. Remaining tree stumps become a nuisance, an obstacle you have to maneuver around when weeding or mowing your lawn.
  • Stumps attract insects. When you leave stumps in your lawn, the decaying tree takes a long time to rot away completely. While it's decaying, the stump attracts beetles, termites, ants and other wood-boring pests. You may not mind them in your yard, but they can eventually spread to your home.
  • Stumps take up precious yard space. Especially if you don't have a very large yard, the space you lose from the stump and roots may occupy a lot of space. Just think: You can use that space for a flowerbed or a picnic table.
Typically, you'll spend extra money to grind down the stumps, but it just might be well worth it.

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by Christine DiMaria, Angie's List Contributor
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    Sarah H.

    Co-Owner

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