Pine Tree Removal in Huntsville, AL

Pine tree removal is one of the most common jobs on wooded lots around Huntsville. Loblolly pines can grow close to 100 feet tall, and many neighborhoods were built among them, so a single pine may stand over a house, a garage and a neighbor's yard at once. Pines are also the trees most likely to die suddenly here, usually from bark beetles attacking a tree already stressed by drought, root damage or storm injury.

Signs of bark beetles

The southern pine beetle's main hosts are loblolly and shortleaf pines, and it attacks in numbers: once a female settles on a tree, she releases a chemical signal that draws many more. Look for small, popcorn-like blobs of sticky resin on the bark, called pitch tubes, fine reddish sawdust in bark crevices or at the base, and needles that fade from green to yellow to reddish-brown across the crown over a few weeks. By the time the whole top has turned, the tree is usually dead. Beetles leaving a dead tree can move on to stressed pines nearby, so groups of dying pines are worth dealing with promptly.

Why dead pines are risky

A dead pine dries and weakens fast in the Alabama heat. Tops and limbs break off, and the trunk can snap partway up in a storm. That makes climbing slower and rigging less predictable, and a pine that has been dead for a long time may have to be taken down with a lift or in a different order than a live tree. Removing a dying pine while the wood is still strong is usually simpler and less costly.

Healthy pines near houses

Not every pine needs to go. A healthy pine with a straight trunk and full crown can stand for decades. Common reasons to remove one anyway include a pine leaning toward the house after a storm, roots damaged by a new driveway or addition, a tree growing in a spot too small for its eventual size, or constant needles and cones clogging gutters. We will give you an honest opinion about which pines are a real risk and which are not.

Sap, needles and cleanup

Pine work is sticky. Resin gets on everything, and pine needles and bark bits scatter across lawns, beds and roofs. Our cleanup includes raking and blowing the yard and the driveway. Pine chips make a decent mulch for paths and beds if you want them; pine logs are not good firewood for indoor fireplaces, so most people have them hauled.

Before the next storm

Tall pines catch a lot of wind, and saturated clay can let a whole tree tip, roots and all. If you have a pine within striking distance of the house, having it looked at before spring storm season is worth the time.