Contents (Click To Jump)
- 1 What Are the Most Common Tree Issues in Exeter?
- 2 Does the City of Exeter Provide Any Assistance In Tree Removal Problems?
- 3 Who Is Responsible for Fallen Tree Removal in Exeter?
- 4 How Does the Soil Affect Trees in Exeter?
- 5 Does Weather Affect Tree Health in Exeter?
- 6 What If Dead Trees Are Near Power Lines in Exeter?
- 7 How Much Does Tree Removal Usually Cost in Exeter?
What Are the Most Common Tree Issues in Exeter?
Trees offer natural beauty to any yard and typically require minimal maintenance. In the Exeter area, there are many tall and majestic trees that add shade to your home or offer a quiet place to read a book in a hammock on a lovely spring day. Here are a few of the trees our team sees most often in the area:
- Red maple
- White pine
- Hemlock
- Balsam fir
- Sugar maple
- Red oak
- Spruce
- Paper birch
- Yellow birch
- Beech
Some of these trees grow to soaring heights and can impress almost anyone. When majestic trees, such as these, get diseased or damaged and need to be removed, we often hear homeowners wonder what happened. Here’s a look at the most common tree issues we see in Exeter:
Damage from Hard Freeze Conditions
Exeter is the quintessential New England town with a riot of colors during the fall foliage season and a white winter wonderland. Each year, the area sees a whopping 56 inches of snow, and the daytime temperatures barely crest the freezing mark, while the evenings bring temperatures in the low 20s to the mid-teens.
All these days of extreme cold lead to a condition known as a hard freeze. After days of freezing temperatures, the moisture and nutrients in the ground and topsoil freeze, and your trees can no longer access the nutrients they need to grow and thrive.
Your evergreen trees are built to withstand these periods of deep freeze and the accompanying lack of nutrients, but even young evergreens won’t survive a harsh winter.
Some of your trees might perish during a hard freeze. Sometimes, a tree in your Exeter yard will appear to recover in the spring, only to wither and die a few weeks later.
This happens when a portion of the tree was damaged during a hard freeze. After a few weeks of spring, the damaged portion begins to spread, eventually killing the entire tree.
If you suspect a tree has been damaged during the winter, our team can check it out for you and make a recommendation.
Insect Damage
As the warm weather returns in the spring, the insects and other pests descend on Exeter. These critters are an essential part of the ecosystem. However, these insects and other pests can move into your tree and dine on it.
These insects can damage or kill a tree in your Exeter yard. The insects we see most often in the area are:
- European Gypsy Moth
- Asian Gypsy Moth
- Asian Longhorned Beetle
Unfortunately, the insects don’t stick to a single tree. If you have an insect problem in one tree, you probably have multiple trees with pests. We can treat an infection and save the tree if it’s caught early. To catch it early, you need to know the signs, and these include:
- The appearance of insects on the tree
- Leaves and limbs that appear smaller than normal
- Misshapen and discolored leaves
- Stunted growth
- Bald patches
- Spotty canopy
There are other signs that your tree might have an infestation, so contact our team if you suspect there’s a problem.
Does the City of Exeter Provide Any Assistance In Tree Removal Problems?
The city of Exeter is committed to taking care of any trees that are located on public land. Unfortunately, a tree in your yard is on private property, and you’re going to need to handle the removal of it. There is always the possibility of an area of easement on your property, and if this is the case, the city will take care of the tree removal.
Who Is Responsible for Fallen Tree Removal in Exeter?
Most trees on private property are the responsibility of the homeowner to remove. We field a lot of calls from people in special circumstances who want to know who is responsible for removing a fallen tree. This section covers a few of the most common situations that we’re asked about:
If you’re a homeowner?
In Exeter, when you’re the homeowner, it’s almost certainly your responsibility from your yard. However, there might be an easement on your property. This is a small parcel that the city or a utility company holds the right to use. If a tree falls there, it’s the responsibility of the entity that holds the right to remove the tree.
If you’re a renter?
Many renters will take care of the yard at the Exeter home that they’re renting. This includes mowing the grass and pulling weeds. It wouldn’t include removing a fallen tree. When you notice a fallen tree or a damaged one, you need to let the homeowner know, so that they can take care of it.
If you’re a landlord?
Even if you aren’t living in your home, you’re still responsible for removing a fallen tree from the Exeter yard. However, your tenant should let you know as soon as they spot an issue.
If you’re a neighbor?
With such tall trees in the Exeter area, it isn’t uncommon for a neighbor’s tree to fall into both your yard and theirs. When this happens, your first question is always: Who is responsible for the tree’s removal?
As the homeowner, you’re responsible for removing the section of the tree that’s in your yard. There are times when it turns out the neighbor failed to remove a tree that they knew was damaged or dead.
When this happens, your neighbor was negligent, and this negligence leaves them liable for removing the entire tree. Before you start arguing your case in a courtroom, you probably want to talk to them first.
It’s entirely possible that the two of you can work it out and retain a friendship for many years to come.
How Does the Soil Affect Trees in Exeter?
The most common type of soil we find in Exeter is Marlow, a loamy soil. This type of soil can easily absorb water, but it isn’t the best at draining it. This area sees a high rainfall average and snowmelt. All the extra moisture in the soil that doesn’t drain properly can leave your tree at risk for root rot.
Does Weather Affect Tree Health in Exeter?
Yes, the weather in Exeter definitely affects the health of your trees. The freezing winter temperatures leave your trees at risk for damage due to a hard freeze. This condition can damage or kill a tree, and you won’t know until it fails to grow in the spring.
There’s a lot of moisture that leaks into your ground each year. It starts with the winter wonderland and almost five feet of snow. The rest of the year, the area sees more than 14 inches of rain over the national average.
As the snow melts and the rain falls, the soil in your Exeter yard absorbs a lot of water. If the roots spend too much time in excess moisture, it can lead to root rot, a fungal disease.
What If Dead Trees Are Near Power Lines in Exeter?
You don’t want to risk your life by getting near a dead tree that’s lying on a power line. It’s much better to move away and call emergency services. Sometimes, it’s a dead tree near a power line. In this case, you need to hire a professional service to remove the tree. This ensures that it doesn’t end up on the power line.
Typically, the Exeter homeowner is responsible for removing a dead tree near a service line, in which case we can help. The tree might be on an easement used by the power company to run lines. If that’s the case, you can get the utility company to remove the tree instead of handling it yourself.
How Much Does Tree Removal Usually Cost in Exeter?
The cost of removing a tree is a primary concern of Exeter homeowners. The cost of a tree removal ranges between $205 and $1,985 with an average of around $600. The city doesn’t require a tree removal permit, but there are other cost factors to be considered, such as:
Condition of the Tree
With trees that are decayed in areas, it becomes more tenuous to safely remove the tree. While we’re cutting the tree down in sections, starting at the top, there’s a chance the tree might crumble, causing damage to your home or property.
Tree Size
When we remove a taller or thicker than the average tree, it takes more time. We must remove it safely, so additional equipment and time are needed to ensure this.
Add-on Services
While cutting down your tree, our team can split the wood up into firewood or run it through a chipper to create wood chips. Another popular add-on service is removing the stump.
