I'm sure you've heard of the Emerald Ash Borer. It's a tiny little insect from East Asia, and it's slowly but relentlessly killing off all the Ash trees in the northeast and southern Canada. The trees die quickly once infected, and in built up areas have to be removed for safety. Both homeowners and cities will be paying big bills for tree removal.
Our neighbours decided to be pro-active and have three big trees removed before they died. The crew from Arboreal, a firm we have also used, arrived one day earlier in the spring. They had trouble getting the cherry picker started, but then they were able to head into the sky.
They climb trees if branches are available for safety, but these trees were remarkably free of branches, so a cherry picker it was. And it was fascinating to watch.
The three trees behind the shed are the ones they're removing, and you can see how far up they got the cherry picker.
This crew does not cut a tree at the base and watch it fall, they cut branch by branch and rope those branches down to the ground. The top of the tree is gone now and you can see the rope to the immediate left of the tree.
Here's one of the large branches suspended in mid-air as it's roped down to the ground.
Where another guy was waiting beside the wood chipper, the loudest of loud machines. Tomorrow a bit more about the results.
That brings back a lot of memories. The Manlift at work, using the Chainsaw at home.
ReplyDeleteBe Safe and Enjoy the show.
It's about time.
Watching a big old tree being cut down is both sad and fascinating. Recently our next door neighbour had another of his tall pine trees cut down and I made sure to watch. You're right about those chippers being noisy!
ReplyDeleteI wasn't here when the Lombardy poplars were taken down this spring, so seeing your photos is very interesting. Like the ash trees, those poplars have limited branches so a cherry picker was needed.
ReplyDeleteToo bad about the trees. Fascinating watching the removal of trees!!
ReplyDeleteFascinating to watch I imagine!
ReplyDeleteThey sure know their stuff, eh?
ReplyDeleteTree falling in residential areas has become high tech.
ReplyDeleteSo sad to see trees cut down, but in this case necessary. Good pictures!
ReplyDeleteGood report on the goings on. It would be a hot job today.
ReplyDeleteThose guys are awesome to watch:)
ReplyDeleteHi, Stewart. I was just looking at YouTube and it occurred to me that you might enjoy the videos on "Black Crag" 's channel, especially the last three in his "Hiking The Wainwrights" series which explore some of the best walking in England's Lake District.
ReplyDeleteToo bad about the ash, unfortunately virtually all the ash down here as been dead for a number of year. A few seem to have some genetic resistance to the EAB so there will be a seed source as long as landowners don't cut each and every ash tree. The arborist who does our tree work has a bucket truck with a 70 foot reach -- very impressive.
ReplyDeleteIt is always sad to see trees coming down but I do understand the necessity of it in many cases. Even in our yard when I have to cut down small trees or overgrown shrubs, it always bothers me.
ReplyDeleteVery sad when trees have to be cut down ... but quite interesting to watch.
ReplyDeleteAll the best Jan
i had not heard of this insect until now. we have lantern flies here in nj, they destroy trees as well.
ReplyDelete