The Importance Of Tree Care and Tree Services

7 Ways To Tell If Your Tree Is Dying

The last thing you want to worry about on your property, whether it's residential or commercial, is a dying tree. You have enough to worry about without having to deal with dead trees. Sometimes when a tree dies it's obvious. But sometimes it's not. Here's how to tell if your tree is dying or dead so you know whether or not to have it removed.

1. Decay: This can be hard to spot because it starts on the inside, but there are outward visible signs you can look for such as cavities caused by deterioration, colonies of carpenter ants, and mushrooms growing from the trunk or branches.
2. Bare Branches: Whether you have random branches here and there or all of the branches not growing leaves during the spring, your tree is either dying or dead. Also, if your tree doesn't lose its leaves when it's supposed to, it is dying. A healthy tree will grow and lose its leaves during the proper seasons.
3. Losing Bark: Either brittle or disappearing bark is a sign your tree is dying. Bugs making homes in your trunk where the bark has fallen off is also a bad sign.
4. Bark Beetles: Whether your tree has lost its bark or not, if you spot bark beetles, it's a pretty good indication that your tree is dying. Bark beetles generally take up residence in dead or weakened trees.
5. Dead Wood: This one may seem obvious, but it's not always easy to spot. One way to tell if the wood is dying is to shake the branches. They should be flexible, not stiff. You can also scrape off bits of bark to see if it's green underneath.
6. Weak Joints: The joints where the branches attach to the tree should be strong, not weak, and they should stay in one place. If the joints look like they're moving up the branch this is a pretty good indication that the branch is dying and the joint is trying to eat it.
7. Fungus: When the roots of a tree are dead, they will turn slimy and start to grow large fungus. When the fungus grows on the trunk, it means the wood is rotting on the inside.

A dying or dead tree can be a pain, but if you see decay, bare branches, missing bark, bark beetles, dead wood, weak joints or fungus, it's time to call the experts and have it removed. For more information, contact companies like Yarnell Tree Co Inc.