Prevent Falling Trees: 4 Common Signs a Tree Is about to Fall

If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?

It’s the age-old riddle — and no one has a good answer. What we know for sure, however, is that if a tree falls on your house, you need a new house.

Not many people know how to detect a dead or dying tree. But in fact, there are several indications that a tree is on its last legs, and all you have to do is look at it.

Preventing falling trees is easy, and once you know that something is wrong, you can contact a professional tree service to come to deal with it. Keep your dying tree from falling on your house or car or you with these detection methods.

Early Signs of a Dying Tree

A tree will visually communicate to you when it becomes unhealthy. There are many symptoms to look out for. Here are a few.

Deformed or Dropped Leaves

One of the easiest ways to tell if your tree is dying is to take a look at its leaves. If there’s an excessive amount of leaves dropping at a strange time, pick one up and look at it.

If it looks discolored or shriveled up in the middle of summer, your tree doesn’t have enough nutrients to provide for the leaves.

Dead or Falling Branches

The same goes for falling branches. Go stand underneath the tree and look up. If you see a large number of branches hanging off other branches, then something is up. 

If there are branches falling out, it’s likely that the tree is trying to make itself smaller so there’s less to feed. Pick up the branch and check for rotting or bug damage. If you notice any of these signs, that means your tree is unhealthy.

Missing Bark

Take a look at the trunk of the tree. Sometimes with dying trees, there will be spots where the bark is missing or can easily peel off. If it’s flaking off like this, then the tree is more likely to break at that spot one day.

Leaning 

Probably the most alarming sign of a tree nearing the end of its life is a lean that wasn’t there before. If you notice that a tree begins to lean after a wind storm, it’s because it isn’t strong enough to stay upright.

This should be taken seriously, so make sure you contact an arborist or stump removal company immediately.

Prevent Falling Trees the Smart Way

If you notice any of these symptoms with a tree on your property, then you’ll need to have a professional look at it. They’ll be able to determine what actions need to be taken to prevent damage. 

At Treelex, we offer tree pruning, tree removal, and stump grinding services. We can come to take a look at your tree in Newton, MA and recommend the best course of action. If there are any falling trees, we’ll handle the problem. 

Contact us for your all of your tree needs and view our blog post to learn how to care for your trees in Waltham. 

Categorised in: Tree Removal