Contents (Click To Jump)
- 1 What Are the Most Common Tree Issues in Bourbonnais?
- 2 Does the City of Bourbonnais Provide Any Assistance in Tree Removal Problems?
- 3 Who Is Responsible for Fallen Tree Removal in Bourbonnais?
- 4 How Does the Soil Affect Trees in Bourbonnais?
- 5 Does Weather Affect Tree Health in Bourbonnais?
- 6 What If Dead Trees Are Near Power Lines in Bourbonnais?
- 7 How Much Does Tree Removal Usually Cost in Bourbonnais?
What Are the Most Common Tree Issues in Bourbonnais?
Trees add beauty and practicality to your yard. In the summer months, you want the shade they provide for your home and outdoor space. Bourbonnais has a diverse selection of native and non-native trees. The ones we see most often include:
- Oak
- Ash
- Sassafras
- Willow
- Crabapple
- Locust
- Eastern Redbud
- American Elm
The oak trees and others can grow to impressive heights, and it isn’t unusual to see trees over 50 feet tall in the Bourbonnais area. For this reason, homeowners often wonder what went wrong when it comes time for a tree’s removal. Here are a couple of issues that we see most often in the area:
Extreme Winter Temperatures
With an average yearly snowfall of almost 26 inches of snow, Bourbonnais enjoys lovely white winters. The daytime temperatures rarely rise above freezing, and after dark, it gets really cold with temperatures in the low 20s to high teens.
If you’ve lived in the area for a few years, you’re probably used to these harsh winter temperatures, but they create a condition known as a hard freeze. Extended days of temperatures below freezing eventually freeze the soil and all the nutrients in it.
The trees in your Bourbonnais yard need these nutrients to thrive and continue growing. As they’re deprived of nutrients for an extended period of time, some of your trees might become damaged or perish.
In the spring, you’ll probably find that most of your evergreen trees survived and begin to grow again, although some younger trees might have damage. Other varieties of trees might not have fared so well.
Sometimes, we see trees that the homeowners tell us that the tree began growing again in the spring and then simply stopped. This happens because a portion of the tree was damaged by the hard freeze. Eventually, the damage spreads, killing the tree.
If you suspect damage due to a hard freeze, our team can evaluate the tree for you.
Damage from an Insect Infestation
Let’s face it. Although insects play an essential role in nature, they are a menace to the trees in your yard. These little bugs like to make a home in your trees or turn it into a fast-food restaurant. Here are a few of the insects that we see most commonly damaging trees in Bourbonnais:
- European Gypsy Moth
- Asian Gypsy Moth
- Asian Longhorned Beetle
- European Cherry Fruit Fly
- Spotted Lanternfly
By the time you notice bugs infesting a tree, they’re probably already buzzing around a few others, too. You can treat an insect infestation if you catch it early. This makes it essential that you keep an eye out for signs of pests in your trees. These include:
- Insects on or around your trees
- Limbs and leaves growing in smaller than normal
- Leaves that are misshapen or discolored
- Growth stops
- Holes and channels in the trunk
- Decayed areas that have sunken into the trunk
- Bald patches in the trunk
- Weakness between the limbs and the trunk
When you see signs of insect damage, you need to act immediately to have a chance of saving the tree. Our team can evaluate the situation and make a recommendation.
Does the City of Bourbonnais Provide Any Assistance in Tree Removal Problems?
The city of Bourbonnais has some tough zoning laws about trees and will take care of removing any damaged trees on public land. However, a tree in your yard is almost always on private property, making it your responsibility to remove it unless the tree is on an easement owned by the city or a local utility company.
Who Is Responsible for Fallen Tree Removal in Bourbonnais?
The Bourbonnais homeowner is almost always responsible for removing a tree from their yard. However, we often receive calls from people in a few common situations. This section covers those.
If you’re a homeowner?
As the homeowner, you’re responsible for removing trees from your private property. In a few cases, the tree is on an easement—a small area of land in your yard that the city or a utility company holds the rights to use—and you can get the city or utility company to remove a fallen tree from this area.
If you’re a renter?
Some renters in Bourbonnais mow the lawn, rake the leaves, and take care of general yard work. If you do general lawn maintenance, you aren’t responsible for removing a fallen tree. It’s up to the homeowner to remove it, but you do need to advise them of any tree issues.
If you’re a landlord?
Are you the homeowner renting out your house? Yes, you’re responsible for removing a fallen tree in the yard even when you have a tenant living in the home.
If you’re a neighbor?
With such tall trees in the area, it isn’t unusual to get a call from a homeowner whose neighbor’s tree has fallen into their yard, too. When you’re the homeowner with the neighbor’s tree in their yard, you’re responsible for removing the portion of the tree in your yard, including making arrangements and paying the bill.
However, not all homeowners take care of the trees in your yard. If your neighbor knew the tree was dead or damaged and didn’t take the appropriate action, they are negligent. This negligence makes your neighbor liable for removing the tree and any damage to your property.
When this happens, you should consider talking to your neighbor before calling a lawyer. You might be able to work out a solution between the two of you and maintain your neighborly friendship.
How Does the Soil Affect Trees in Bourbonnais?
The most common soil type in Bourbonnais is Drummer soil. This is a silty clay loam. Unfortunately, this isn’t the best type of soil for tree growth. The clay and loam soak up water, but they aren’t able to drain it quickly, which leaves your trees at risk for developing root rot, a fungal disease.
Does Weather Affect Tree Health in Bourbonnais?
The weather in Bourbonnais does affect the health of your trees. The extreme temperatures in the spring leave your trees susceptible to damage due to a hard freeze.
Spring showers bring a chance of thunderstorms with them. A direct lightning strike can kill a tree in your yard in seconds and split it in half. Another challenge with these storms is the possibility of tornadoes.
Between 1950 and 2010, the Bourbonnais area has seen 100 tornadoes, which is almost two a year. These twisters can bring wind speeds of up to 300 mph in the funnel, which can pick up your car and move it to another yard. You can imagine the damage they cause to trees.
What If Dead Trees Are Near Power Lines in Bourbonnais?
If you see a tree lying on or near a power line, you need to let the professionals handle it. In the case of a dead tree on a power line, you need to call emergency services to cut the power. When the dead tree is near a power line, you don’t want to take a chance of it falling onto the power line by trying to remove it yourself.
Sometimes, a dead tree near a power line is on an easement owned by the utility company, and you can get them to remove it. A tree in your Bourbonnais yard is your responsibility to remove when it isn’t on an easement, so call our experts in that case.
How Much Does Tree Removal Usually Cost in Bourbonnais?
We hear this question from a lot of Bourbonnais homeowners. We can’t give you an exact cost until we see the tree and its location. In the area, the cost of tree removal ranges from $230 to $2,150 with an average cost of around $740. While the city doesn’t require a tree removal permit, there are other cost factors to consider:
Other Services
Some homeowners ask us for additional services, such as removing the stump. Two popular services are cutting the tree into firewood or putting it through a wood chipper. You can use the wood chip for mulch to help the other trees grow in your Bourbonnais yard.
Tree Condition
When a tree dies, it begins to decay almost immediately. There might be sections of the tree that are so decayed that the tree will fall into itself while we’re cutting it down. This isn’t safe for our team or your house, so it takes extra time and equipment to remove it.
Tree Size
If a tree is especially tall or thick, it requires additional safety measures and time to remove it. We strive to make sure that your home or other trees aren’t damaged during the removal process, and large trees are an issue.
