Dead & hazardous trees
Dead trees get harder to remove the longer they stand.
- Climb safety checked first
- Bucket or rigging when needed
- Trunk and brush cleared
Emerald ash borer has killed huge numbers of ash trees across Pennsylvania, and Erie County is no exception. A dead ash dries out and turns brittle within a few years. Limbs snap off in light wind, and the wood becomes too unstable to climb safely.
That's why dead trees cost more the longer they wait. Taken down early, a dead tree can often be climbed and rigged like any removal. Waiting too long can mean bringing in a bucket truck or other equipment instead. If you're not sure whether a tree is dead or just struggling, a tree assessment settles it.
Dead tree near the house?
Get it looked at before it starts dropping limbs.
Hazard trees we remove
Any tree that could fail and hit something you care about.
Dead ash trees
Ash killed by emerald ash borer, which turns brittle faster than most dead trees.
Rotting or hollow trees
Trees with decay in the trunk or root flare that have lost structural strength.
Leaning trees
Trees with a new lean, lifted roots or a lean toward a structure.
Split and cracked trees
Trees with cracks through the trunk or a failing main fork.
Is my tree dead?
Scratch test
Scrape a small twig with a fingernail. Green underneath means living tissue; brown and dry means that branch is dead.
Spring check
Trees that don't leaf out by late spring, or only leaf out at the bottom, are in serious trouble.
Ash-specific signs
D-shaped exit holes in the bark, woodpecker damage and bark splitting off in strips.
Signs of a hazardous tree
One of these on a tree near the house is reason enough to call:
- No leaves when others have themOr leaves only on a few lower branches.
- Bark falling off in sheetsDead wood underneath dries and cracks.
- Woodpeckers working the trunkThey're often feeding on insects in dying wood.
- Fungus on the trunk or rootsShelf fungi and mushrooms are signs of internal decay.
- Dead limbs dropping on their ownIf it's shedding branches now, worse is coming.
Safety first. Never climb or rope a dead tree yourself. Dead wood can break without warning under the weight of a person or a pull line.
Why call us for dead and hazard trees
Answered 24/7
Nights, weekends, holidays.
Climbability checked
We check whether the wood is sound enough to climb before anyone ties in.
The right method
When climbing isn't safe, we use a bucket or other approach instead.
Erie-based crew
Office on West 21st Street.
