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Tree Damage! Here's what you need to know before calling a tree trimmer

Posted at 6:59 PM, Sep 07, 2017
and last updated 2017-09-07 19:03:54-04

Wind damage and falling trees are a big threat as hurricane Irma approaches, and the pros say it's a lot easier for them to take a tree down than for you to pay for the damage of the wind knocking it down. 

Tree trimming companies are busy taking down dead trees before the big storm.

Stephen Nadeau has a dead tree in his yard. "I scheduled this for the next week or the week after and because of the storm they squeezed up in like two weeks early," he said. 

Jeff Trent is a certified arborist with "Tree Care by Robert Miller." He says knowing the difference between the trees that help protect your home and the ones that could hurt it, is key.

Some signs that your tree is dead and needs cut down are:

  • Brown leaves that don’t fall off 
  • Big limbs that do fall off
  • Ferns or mushrooms are growing out of the base of the trunk

The tree care company says there’s a lot of misinformation out there too

Jovan Zeller, President of Tree Care with Robert Miller and certified arborist said, “If there’s anyone trying to convince you of a hurricane cut, there’s a ton of information online you can Google, it's the worst thing you can do for your tree.” 

They say getting a lopsided tree structurally pruned is also smart, but before a storm you don’t want to over prune your trees because they need all the strength they can get to withstand the high winds.

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