Life on a Wooded Lot: Tips for Safety
Living on a wooded lot definitely has its benefits. You get to enjoy the shade, admire beautiful trees as you look out the window, and enjoy the squirrels and birds that visit. However, life on a wooded lot can also come with some unique risks. The following are safety tips to help you minimize those risks and enjoy happier, healthier life in your home.
Trim Trees Close to Your Home Annually
The trees closest to your home can cause some problems, particularly if they don’t get proper maintenance. Wind could cause a weak or heavy branch to blow through your window. A dead tree that you don’t remove promptly could fall onto your roof, injuring someone. Trees that shade your roof, even if they are in good shape, can drop debris onto the roof and increase the risk of roof deterioration and leaks.
Arrange to have a tree care company come trim the trees closest to your home once a year. The company will remove any limbs in danger of breaking and help maintain a balanced shape that puts less strain on the tree.
Remove Trees With Invasive Roots
Some types of trees have invasive roots that can grow into drains and sewer lines. This leads to sewage backups, which may expose you to dangerous bacteria inside the home. If you have any of the following trees near your home, consider removing them before the roots become an issue:
- Poplars
- Willows
- Silver maples
- American elms
If your drains are already slow or backing up, contact a plumber promptly. They may need to grind the invasive roots out of the sewer pipe, and removing the tree is the best way to keep them from growing back.
Deadwood Your Lot
Even the trees further back on your lot can be a safety hazard if they have a lot of dead limbs. Left to their own devices, dead limbs and branches eventually fall from the tree. You would not want them to fall on a person or pet who happens to walk below.
Arrange to have a tree care company come deadwood your lot. They will carefully inspect each tree, noting and removing any deteriorating or dead branches. The company can also remove dead or diseased trees before they become a hazard. Based on the age and conditions of your trees, the tree care company can tell you how often you should repeat this service.
Take Steps for Tick Protection
As much as you love the woods, ticks often love it more. Since ticks can spread nasty diseases like Lyme disease, take steps to protect yourself and your pets from these pests. Ask your vet to recommend a spot-on or oral tick repellent for your dogs. Apply an insect repellent to your own skin and clothes before venturing into the woods, and check yourself and your clothing for ticks before going indoors.
Ticks love to hide in leaf litter too. Rake well in the fall, and trim weeds back to deter the ticks.
Only Use Local Firewood
Moving firewood is a bad idea even for those who don't have a lot of trees on their land, but as someone on a wooded lot, you need to be even more vigilant. Firewood can contain insects and infectious fungi which, if passed on to your trees, can cause damage and death that makes them unsafe.
Burn only wood from your land if possible, or if you do buy firewood, keep it within 10 miles . If the wood contains insects or fungal growth, don't buy it.
If you follow the tips above, you can safely and enjoyably live on a wooded lot. Contact Kaily's Tree Service if you need pruning, deadwooding, or land-clearing services in the Nashville area.
