Stop Eating My Trees

Stop Eating My Trees!

In addition to tree removal services in the metro Atlanta area, Atlanta Tree Professionals also offers tree treatment for insects.  Did you know that insects pollinate around 80% of trees and bushes?  Although some of those insects are beneficial to trees, there are about thirty species of insects that contribute to the decline of trees in the U.S.

Damaging insects are grouped by the kind of damage that they cause on certain parts of the tree.  Those groups are:

• Defoliators or leaf eaters.  These include moths, aphids and caterpillars.
• Beetles and borers.  These insects consume or breed inside a tree’s bark and wood.  They also consume the tree’s seeds so new trees can’t grow.
• Fruit insect pests.  These insects rot the fruit growing on trees.  Moths, maggots, flies, leaf rollers and fruit worms are all part of this group.

Most common to our region are Pine Tree Beetles, Ambrosia beetles and carpenter ants.  

If you are worried that your tree(s) might have an insect infestation, look for these signs:

• Sawdust around base of the tree
• Chunks of canopy missing
• Big bubbles of sap on the tree
• Small holes in the tree (they can be smaller than a penny)
• Dropping limbs

Insects are less likely to attack healthy trees, but already damaged or newly planted trees will be more susceptible to an infestation.  So what is the best way to protect your trees from bugs?  Prevention!  Atlanta Tree Professionals can help with that by providing annual treatment of trees for insect control, identifying branch, trunk and root defects that may weaken a tree and recommending ways to manage them, removing dead or defective branches, correcting problems caused by improper care practices that have occurred in the past, pruning to make the tree safer and healthier and crown reduction that reduces the risk of tree failure for large trees located near buildings.

If you believe one or more of your trees are infested or if you want to prevent future infestations, give us a call and we’ll make sure those pests stop eating your trees!  The month of June is free tree assessment month, so give us a call and we’ll come assess your trees at no cost!  We service the Atlanta and metro Atlanta areas.  Call us today at (404) 644-8733.

Spring Clean Up by Atlanta Tree Professionals

Spring Clean Up

Ahhh, who’s ready for it to look like this outside?  Don’t think about the allergies, just the warm, beautiful weather.  We’ve gotten tastes of the spring, so hopefully it will stop teasing us and decide to stay soon.

With the spring does come the dreaded spring cleaning, though, and we at Atlanta Tree Professionals wanted to talk to you about how you can spring clean by getting you trees prepared for spring weather.  This winter has been tough on many of our trees, so it is important to make sure the trees in your yard are in good condition.  Spring is the peak season for thunderstorms and if your trees are not healthy, the storms could do a lot of damage.  Many times when a tree falls, it could have been prevented if it had been inspected before the storms happened.  Here are things that you want to look for that can be potential hazards with your trees:

-       Branches that hang over your home

-       Trees that lean significantly

-       Trees or branches that have a close proximity to power lines

-       Cracks in the trunks or major limbs of trees

-       Trees that are hollow, aged or decaying

Trees that might have these issues are the ones that will come down first in a thunderstorm.  Spring thunderstorms can be hard on weak trees for a couple of reasons.  The first is that when there is heavy rain, the soil gets soaked and the roots of the tree cannot stay fastened in the ground.  The second reason is the wind.  Have you ever had your umbrella turn inside out when it’s really windy?  This is the same effect the wind can have on your tree “canopy.”

The other issue you need to be aware of with your trees in the spring is ivy.  We all know here in Georgia how the ivy grows-like crazy!  Ivy on your trees can actually add weight to the tops of your trees, increasing the likelihood of it falling.  An easy solution to this is to cut the ivy off.  One tip: Don’t pull the ivy off the tree, but instead cut it at the ground.  This way it will not cause harm to the bark of your tree, but will instead cut off it’s water supply, which will cause it to wither and fall off the tree without damage.

If we’ve said it once, we’ve said it a thousand times: Proper maintenance to your trees is so important!  Proper pruning can reduce the wind sail and reduce the likelihood of property damage by a tree.  On the flip side, improper pruning can make trees more vulnerable to the effects of a storm, so please leave it to the experts, like Atlanta Tree Professionals.  We will help you figure out the best plan for your trees to keep your family and property safe. 

Right now, we have a great special going on: You can get $100 off of $500 or more of tree work.  Additionally, if you refer a friend and we do the work on their trees, you can earn another $100 off.  That’s right, friends, up to $200 off! 

If you are in the Atlanta metro area, including Marietta, Atlanta, Decatur, Acworth, Kennesaw, Alpharetta and more, give Atlanta Tree Professionals a call today and take advantage of these great specials! 404-644-8733

Atlanta Tree Professionals 

6105 Boylston Dr NE

Sandy Springs, GA 30328

404-644-8733

http://www.atlantatreeprofessionals.com

Up On the Rooftop

Up On the Rooftop 

‘Tis the season! Now do Santa and his reindeer a favor and protect your rooftop from trees and limbs. You still want some presents, right?

Winter can be especially tough on trees in your yard. Wind, snow and ice can cause, what might look like healthy branches, to weaken and break and cause damage to your property or home. In addition, dead or dying trees can especially pose a safety hazard. Here are some ways that you can protect your home, property and family from trees in your yard during the winter months:

1. Inspect trees on your property 

The first step in protecting your property from falling trees or limbs is to seasonally inspect your trees. It is also important to inspect your trees after a big storm or many days of heavy rain (like we’ve had in Atlanta lately). Some clues to an unhealthy or dying tree are: lack of leaves on branches, many branches falling, cracks or hollows in the trunk or mushrooms growing on the bark. If you have questions or concerns about any of your trees, Atlanta Tree Professionals can come out and inspect your trees for you.


 2. Prune your trees 

Pruning your trees is one of the most cost-effective ways to protect your home from falling limbs. The winter is actually the best time to prune many types of trees. Trees compete for light and grow towards the light. Often times, this means that some trees will start to grow toward your home, simply because there are not trees where your home is sitting. Hardwood trees such as sweet gum, poplars and oaks are especially bad about this. When these trees get too close to your home, it is especially hazardous. If your trees need pruning beyond your abilities, call Atlanta Tree Professionals. We offer a specialized pruning process called “interior pruning”. This process reduces and balances the “tree canopy” on your property. The interior pruning allows the wind to move through the trees without creating a "sail" so to speak and, therefore, makes your home and property safer, reduces the weight of the wood, makes trees healthier, and reduces the wind shear.

3. Tree Removal

As much as we at Atlanta Tree Professionals like to preserve the trees in your yard, sometimes the only way to truly protect your property is to chop a large part of the tree or the whole tree down. When a tree is dead or dying, limbs can easily drop with little encouragement because the rot is spreading throughout the limbs. A little bit of ice or wind in the right direction can be a big hazard if a tree is not healthy. Atlanta Tree Professionals can answer any questions you might have about trees on your property. We like to save the tree if we can, but we ultimately want to keep you and your family safe. If you have some tree trimming needs, do not delay, especially at this time of year. Right now, we have a special where you can receive $100 off of $600 or more! Call us at 404-644-8733 today!

Atlanta Tree Professionals
6105 Boylston Drive Northeast
Atlanta, GA 30328
404-644-8733 (404-644-TREE)

Deadwood To Firewood

Deadwood to Firewood

Have any trees that look like this in your yard?  They might be dead. Okay, let's be real. They are dead.  Can you guess Atlanta Tree Professionals thoughts on the matter? 

Yes, it is time to cut them down...

Then what?  One great way to put an old, dead tree to use is to dry it and use for firewood, or even wood chips for barbecuing. 

CALL 404-644-8733 for Atlanta tree services by Atlanta Tree Professionals

If you are wanting to turn your tree into firewood, the most important thing you need to do is make sure that the wood is dry or “cured.”  Burning wood that is not properly dried results in smoky fires that don’t burn for very long.  Burning wood with high moisture can also cause a build up of a chemical called creosote which can build up and ignite major fires (which you don’t want in your home). Save those for the firepit when you invite the neighbors for 

When drying your wood, the goal should be 20% moisture content.  You can check the moisture level in wood by using a moisture meter, which you can find in most hardware stores.  Most wood needs to be stored from 6-12 months to be fully dried.  Here are some tips to get your wood cured:

1.     Cut the wood into the right length so it fits in your fireplace and/or fire pit well.  Try to cut the wood into the same size pieces to make for easier storage.

2.     Split the wood before you stack it.  Aiming to cut the wood into pieces with a diameter of six inches or less is a good goal.

3.     Store the firewood off the ground.  Having the wood six inches off the ground allows the bottom of the wood pile to dry.  You can do this by having the wood on a rack or arranging branches at the bottom of the pile.

4.     Cover the top of the pile, but leave the sides exposed.  The best material to do this with is by using a heavy duty, clear, plastic tarp.  This allows the sunlight in but keeps the moisture out.

Once dried out, or cured, this firewood will be perfect for your winter fire!  If you like to grill out, you could even use your dried wood for wood chips for your next barbecue.  Some trees that are great for wood chip use are Hickory, Oak and Pecan.

If all of this sounds great but you need help cutting the tree down, give Atlanta Tree Professionals a call!  We are located in Sandy Springs, GA and our service area reaches Marietta, Atlanta, Decatur, Acworth, Kennesaw, Alpharetta and more.

Commercial Tree Removal Special $200 off any $1,000 Job or more

Atlanta tree services from Atlanta Tree Professionals is having a fall special, $200 off any $1,000 or more commercial tree removal or commercial tree trimming job.

This Atlanta tree service offer is perfect for

• Homeowner's Associations
• Property Management Companies
• Apartment Complex Tree Trimming
• Commercial Real Estate 
• Golf Courses

Fall is the time when commercial business owners and developers begin to start trimming and pruning their property in anticipation of winter.

Check out our Google Offer to learn more.

Tornado Damage Atlanta Storms 06/13/13

Atlanta had some incredible tree damage last week due to crazy storms. As you can imagine there has been some serious tree removal Atlanta going on.

Here is a shot of the 2 EF1 tornados path as they ripped through Cherokee County, Cobb County and Fulton County from the National Weather Service for the storms that passed through Georgia from June 13, 2013.

Atlanta Tree Professionals got a call at 6am that next morning after one family came out to see there was not one but two trees on their house. Here is a video interview/customer tree testimonial of her experience with Atlanta Tree Professionals.

We worked in Dunwoody that day and East Cobb. In Dunwoody they had 30 trees down in one cul de sac!

As you can imagine we have tons of woodchips.
Go to our website to see out how to get on the schedule for your free woodchips Atlanta. 

Atlanta Tree Professionals has been working hard, in fact so hard that we thank you for your patience as we have tried to take care of everyone in Sandy Springs, East Cobb and Decatur these past 7 days. And we believe in a job well done so that you will recommend us to your friends.

Give us a call, 404-644-8733 and we can set up a free estimate for tree trimming, tree services and tree removal. Again, we thank everyone for the kind referrals that have come in this past week.

That storm was mighty powerful and we understand your pain in having to remove or seriously trim what should of been a near permanent fixture on your property. We promise to not only be cautious in taking down these beauties but also in our clean up.

Peace from Atlanta Tree Professionals.

Pine Beetle Tree Problems in Georgia-Identification and Treatments

Insect treatments for trees in Atlanta 

Living in Atlanta is a beautiful thing….besides our lovely accents we get to enjoy the bountiful abundance of nature in all of its glory.  Atlanta has been known as the city in the forest! You can’t drive too far in Atlanta and not see the great big oaks, the blooming dogwoods, and those gorgeous southern pines. 

Yes in Georgia pine trees are everywhere! They are tall, green, and cover all of our cars with yellow pollen during the spring! However, did you know that those gorgeous southern pines actually have an enemy? The infamous pine beetle!

Pine beetles may be small but they can cause a lot of destruction rather quickly. At Atlanta Tree Professionals would like to offer a few signs to help you identify an infestation of pine beetles!

CHECK OUT OUR SERVICE MAP to see if we offer free tree assessments in your area. 

Look!

Usually you can see small holes in the infected tree; it also may be oozing sap that resembles popcorn. These holes are made by the beetles as they enter the tree.

Listen!

Sometimes you can actually hear the beetles inside your tree. We know it sounds creepy but you can actually hear them chomping down on the wood.

Touch!

You can touch the branches to see if they feel dry and brittle.  Also the branches will lose their coloring after a while!

Pine Beetles are rather aggressive and can kill a tree within a week to a month. If you notice one or more of the following symptoms you should have your tree removed right away, because by the time you notice the first tree, chances are they could be chowing down on another pine tree in your yard! Pine beetles are like hippies at Woodstock, if one finds out there is free food and place to crash chances are they will tell their friends. Before you know it your yard gets trashed. 

The best thing to do is prevent! At Atlanta Tree Professionals we offer annual tree treatment services. We can help keep your trees healthy and happy! Call us at 404-644-8733 for your free Spring tree assessment. Or go to our website to schedule an appointment online.