Beginning to see a lot of “tree work” around the parish since the hurricanes. It is a very good idea to begin preparing for the upcoming season, but beware of individuals wanting to “help” your tree by pruning and cutting off branches.
Each spring, we get a lot of wannabe door-to-door arborist that begin making their rounds in the neighborhoods.
A few facts need to be known about licensed arborist –
These are the people that you will need to hire if you have tree work needed on your trees.
Here are a few “buyer beware” examples –
- Don’t fall for the door-to-door approach. This one’s just trying to make a quick buck and will say, “I’ll take that tree down for $1,000. Then when you say, that’s outrageous, they’ll come back with “Okay, I’ll do it for $300.” A certified professional is not going to peddle his services door-to-door.
- Beware if any practices that aren’t industry standard. The most obvious tip-off of a wannabe arborist is talk of “tree topping.” He will say it will help the tree survive. This is a phrase for cutting branches back severely from the top. It is unattractive, destroys the branch structure and gives multiple points of entry for wood-decay organisms.
- Another one is “lions tailing” or stripping the inside branches and leaving just the ends to resemble a lion’s tail. This encourages weak branches and weak-wood watersprouts and exposes the inner portion of the tree to sunburn.
Safe Bets
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Make them show you their license.
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Make them show you their proof of insurance.
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Make them give you a written estimate of price and time to complete job.
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Get a signed contract between arborist and yourself on the job regarding cost, dates to be performed and completion date.
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To protect yourself, get three bids from licensed arborists.
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Check for references.
If you have any questions or need more information, please give me a call at 985-873-6495 or email me. Visit our website: www.lsuagcenter.com.
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