Frequently Asked Questions on Tree Service
We try to stress to our clients how important proper tree care is for the health of the tree. We employ the best cut method to protect the bark and ensure that a healthy callus forms to prevent rot, fungus, moisture and insects from invading. Trees are strong and resilient but sometimes they need assistance to survive Whitby’s fierce weather systems. Yes, there are times where you could do some basic pruning on your tree to help with their health, however, making that improper cut on a tree can sometimes damage that entire area of a tree and stunt the trees growth.
We have compiled a few frequently asked questions that clients have asked in the past regarding tree care and tree costs.
Whats the difference between a tree service company and a landscaping company?
Landscaping services and tree services are 2 very distinct and different trades requiring different skills and certifications. Yes, there are a number of companies that offer both services, however, as a general rule we like to focus just on tree service. A landscaping company often does not have an arborist on their team and the necessary tree equipment such as chainsaws, bucket lifts, cable bracing equipment to properly attack a tree removal project. We have trained tree specialist that have studied the art of tree care and obtained the appropriate certifications.
What areas in the Durham Region do you service?
The Durham Region continues to expand with new housing developments and business coming to our wonderful and progressive cities based in Durham. The 2016 population count had the Durham Region at 650,000 and the population of Whitby at 135,000. With that size of a population and the number of new residents coming to Durham we try to stay as local as possible and service this region only. Our focus will remain in Durham Region servicing primarily the city of Whitby followed by the surrounding cities of Pickering, Ajax and Oshawa.
What are the different services that your company provides?
We are a full service tree care company and offer all things related to trees. If you are looking for a quick consultation on the health of your tree along with a report, a removal of a pesky tree that has overtaken your backyard or front yard, annual fall tree maintenance before our Canadian winters come roaring in or a left over stump that you constantly trip over or have your lawn mower blades get damaged everytime, we can look after all of these types of requests for our Whitby clients.
Do you provide free no obligation estimates?
Absolutely! Estimates within the cities of Pickering, Ajax, Whitby, Brooklin and Oshawa are free of charge. Consultations for an arborist will require a charge as it is a fairly specialized skill. We provide you with a written quote after we have sufficient information gathered about the tree job. This may included a site visit, a few photographs that we may ask you to supply us for the tree job and any details about access to your property that may impede the job.
Does a resident of Whitby need a permit from the Municipality to remove a tree?
If you are planning to cut down or remove trees within a Woodland area, you may need a permit from the Region. There are both municipal by-laws and region by-laws that need to be looked at when removing a tree and the species of trees that are being removed. Of course we recommend that our clients do check with the appropriate bylaw office prior to engaging in any tree removal as these bylaws are constantly being modified and updated. A link to the City of Whitby Tree Removal page can be found here. https://www.whitby.ca/en/residents/treeservices.asp#treeremoval
Do you take care of the permit process if one is required?
We can certainly assist and guide home owners or business owners on obtaining the permits. However, the process, policies and procedures for obtaining tree permits varies from one municipality to another.
What is the Emerald Ash Borer?
It is a pesky invasive insect that is non-native to Canada, but has decided to make our trees their home. They were first detected in Whitby in 2011 and have steadily made their way from south Whitby to the north. The challenge is that infestation of your trees is extremely hard to detect for the first 3 or 4 years. One tell tale sign that your trees are infected is bark damage left by woodpeckers feeding on the insect larvae. If detected in time you can treat the tree with the pesticide TreeAzin. Again, we recommend calling in a tree expert to inspect the tree before taking any action.
What are the steps in tree removal?
For home owners the process to remove a tree depends on a number of factors such as the height of the tree, if there is sufficient clearance to bring in the proper machinery, what items surround the tree e.g. a patio or patio furniture. In most instances if this is a tree in a backyard with a fence, the tree is cut into smaller logs and then lowered to the ground. If on the other hand there is an open space with sufficient clearance the tree is chopped down (timber!) and then attacked while it is lying on the floor. For trees over 50 feet we can employ cranes and bucket trucks, but most of the tree work is conducted by trained climbers using proper climbing and rigging equipment. Our trained technicians gain access to the tree, secure themselves, and use rigging lines to safely lower limbs and wood.
What factors determine if a tree needs to be cut down?
Now as a general rule we hate cutting down and removing trees - yeah, we know it is a major money maker but in all honesty, these majestic beings have taken years to grow into these gigantic pieces of wonder, providing us with shade and filtering our air. Most times we find that all these trees need is a tree pruning to cut back some of the branches and not overtake your backyard. As a general rule we advise our clients that tree removal should be consider if:
A tree dies - yes these are living and breathing things and are susceptible to things like disease, good old mother nature and sometimes humans not giving them the respect they deserve
Becomes unsafe - if the tree was not planted deep enough to give the root ball sufficient space to grow or has branches that are now touching power lines
Gets diseased or insect-infested - in instances where they are termite infestations, infestation from the Emerald Ash Borer and the tree cannot be saved or will impact the other trees in your yard we recommend removing the offending tree.
Blocks construction - putting in a new pool in the back yard and the existing trees need to be removed to make space? Yeah, we can look after removing the trees.
What tree disposal options are available?
So we understand that you are going to shop around for the pricing on a tree removal job but we always remind our customers to ensure they check with that the quote includes the disposal of the cut down tree. Quite often they will get a quote for the cutting down of a tree only to realize that when the tree contractor is on site, they inform the home owner that tree removal is not included and is an additional charge. This leaves the client in a precarious situation as they have not other option to pay the additional charges. Also, please check with the City of Whitby on what are the recycling laws as they differ from city to city.
We have compiled a few frequently asked questions that clients have asked in the past regarding tree care and tree costs.
Whats the difference between a tree service company and a landscaping company?
Landscaping services and tree services are 2 very distinct and different trades requiring different skills and certifications. Yes, there are a number of companies that offer both services, however, as a general rule we like to focus just on tree service. A landscaping company often does not have an arborist on their team and the necessary tree equipment such as chainsaws, bucket lifts, cable bracing equipment to properly attack a tree removal project. We have trained tree specialist that have studied the art of tree care and obtained the appropriate certifications.
What areas in the Durham Region do you service?
The Durham Region continues to expand with new housing developments and business coming to our wonderful and progressive cities based in Durham. The 2016 population count had the Durham Region at 650,000 and the population of Whitby at 135,000. With that size of a population and the number of new residents coming to Durham we try to stay as local as possible and service this region only. Our focus will remain in Durham Region servicing primarily the city of Whitby followed by the surrounding cities of Pickering, Ajax and Oshawa.
What are the different services that your company provides?
We are a full service tree care company and offer all things related to trees. If you are looking for a quick consultation on the health of your tree along with a report, a removal of a pesky tree that has overtaken your backyard or front yard, annual fall tree maintenance before our Canadian winters come roaring in or a left over stump that you constantly trip over or have your lawn mower blades get damaged everytime, we can look after all of these types of requests for our Whitby clients.
Do you provide free no obligation estimates?
Absolutely! Estimates within the cities of Pickering, Ajax, Whitby, Brooklin and Oshawa are free of charge. Consultations for an arborist will require a charge as it is a fairly specialized skill. We provide you with a written quote after we have sufficient information gathered about the tree job. This may included a site visit, a few photographs that we may ask you to supply us for the tree job and any details about access to your property that may impede the job.
Does a resident of Whitby need a permit from the Municipality to remove a tree?
If you are planning to cut down or remove trees within a Woodland area, you may need a permit from the Region. There are both municipal by-laws and region by-laws that need to be looked at when removing a tree and the species of trees that are being removed. Of course we recommend that our clients do check with the appropriate bylaw office prior to engaging in any tree removal as these bylaws are constantly being modified and updated. A link to the City of Whitby Tree Removal page can be found here. https://www.whitby.ca/en/residents/treeservices.asp#treeremoval
Do you take care of the permit process if one is required?
We can certainly assist and guide home owners or business owners on obtaining the permits. However, the process, policies and procedures for obtaining tree permits varies from one municipality to another.
What is the Emerald Ash Borer?
It is a pesky invasive insect that is non-native to Canada, but has decided to make our trees their home. They were first detected in Whitby in 2011 and have steadily made their way from south Whitby to the north. The challenge is that infestation of your trees is extremely hard to detect for the first 3 or 4 years. One tell tale sign that your trees are infected is bark damage left by woodpeckers feeding on the insect larvae. If detected in time you can treat the tree with the pesticide TreeAzin. Again, we recommend calling in a tree expert to inspect the tree before taking any action.
What are the steps in tree removal?
For home owners the process to remove a tree depends on a number of factors such as the height of the tree, if there is sufficient clearance to bring in the proper machinery, what items surround the tree e.g. a patio or patio furniture. In most instances if this is a tree in a backyard with a fence, the tree is cut into smaller logs and then lowered to the ground. If on the other hand there is an open space with sufficient clearance the tree is chopped down (timber!) and then attacked while it is lying on the floor. For trees over 50 feet we can employ cranes and bucket trucks, but most of the tree work is conducted by trained climbers using proper climbing and rigging equipment. Our trained technicians gain access to the tree, secure themselves, and use rigging lines to safely lower limbs and wood.
What factors determine if a tree needs to be cut down?
Now as a general rule we hate cutting down and removing trees - yeah, we know it is a major money maker but in all honesty, these majestic beings have taken years to grow into these gigantic pieces of wonder, providing us with shade and filtering our air. Most times we find that all these trees need is a tree pruning to cut back some of the branches and not overtake your backyard. As a general rule we advise our clients that tree removal should be consider if:
A tree dies - yes these are living and breathing things and are susceptible to things like disease, good old mother nature and sometimes humans not giving them the respect they deserve
Becomes unsafe - if the tree was not planted deep enough to give the root ball sufficient space to grow or has branches that are now touching power lines
Gets diseased or insect-infested - in instances where they are termite infestations, infestation from the Emerald Ash Borer and the tree cannot be saved or will impact the other trees in your yard we recommend removing the offending tree.
Blocks construction - putting in a new pool in the back yard and the existing trees need to be removed to make space? Yeah, we can look after removing the trees.
What tree disposal options are available?
So we understand that you are going to shop around for the pricing on a tree removal job but we always remind our customers to ensure they check with that the quote includes the disposal of the cut down tree. Quite often they will get a quote for the cutting down of a tree only to realize that when the tree contractor is on site, they inform the home owner that tree removal is not included and is an additional charge. This leaves the client in a precarious situation as they have not other option to pay the additional charges. Also, please check with the City of Whitby on what are the recycling laws as they differ from city to city.
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