Winter is a fact of life in Maine. Some people enjoy it, while others simply endure it. There has been no lack of ice, cold and snow this winter. The bad news is that our heating costs have been high and some people are having trouble getting fuel deliveries. This may be a good time to consider adding a supplemental heat source. There is a some good news though. Extended periods of extreme cold are exactly what is needed to help kill off invasive insects. We are faced with an ever increasing list of invasive insects that are threatening the…

I recently attended a meeting of the Maine Pellet Fuels Association in Augusta. Being a “tree guy”, I was voted onto the board of directors the previous year, so I could help the group promote wood pellet heating in the state. I was eager to help, knowing that Maine, being one of the most forested states in the nation, has potential to become the “Saudi Arabia of Biomass Heat”. The economic benefits of converting Maine residential, commercial and municipal buildings over to home-grown biomass heat, would be huge. One year later, I find that Maine is still heavily dependent on…

Winter will soon be upon us, with all it's special opportunities... skiing, ice fishing, snowmobiling, snowshoeing... it can be a fun time of year for those willing and able to take advantage of it. But, with winter, also come problems... frozen pipes, high heat bills, slippery roads... and winter can also have a negative impact on your trees, especially pine trees. When pine trees get big and old, not only do the limbs get long and heavy, but they also get brittle. The cold temperatures, along with the weight of ice and snow can cause major tree damage. If that pine…

Winter can be a great time to do tree work. The trees are dormant and leafless. The ground is frozen. The snow has yet to pile up. Let's take advantage of these conditions and get some preventative maintenance done on your trees, making them safer. Take a look around your yard (or call us and one of our Arborists will do it for you). Things to look for: Dead and dying trees, rot, large long horizontal limbs that are heavy, old and brittle (prone to snapping under heavy ice & snow), woodpecker holes, crotched tops (prone to splitting), missing bark,…

These days, and especially in these uncertain (but improving) economic times, people are extremely cost conscious. There's nothing wrong with that.   ...that is, as long as it doesn't end up costing you more in the long-run,   ...or causing damage to your property,  ...or causing problems with your neighbors,  ...or compromising your ethics,  ...or putting your assets at risk,  ...or,  ...or. We've all heard the old saying "You get what you pay for". In some cases that saying can be true. Tree service contractors (as with any contractor) have numerous ways at their disposal to cut their price and work cheaper. Here are a few undesirable methods to watch out…