Why Pruning your Trees is Dangerous & You Should Hire a Professional

Sometimes saving a buck isn’t worth putting your self, home or family in danger. Pruning your trees can lead to a number of injuries or damages, that end up costing more than a contractor would have.

If you do not have the proper experience pruning trees, then you are putting yourself in danger every time you bust out those shears. Check out some of the reasons below of why hiring a professional is always the best bet when it comes to tree pruning. 

1. Going Going Gone 

When working at heights professionals use harnesses, vests, and industrial ladders, all of which are meant to keep them safe. When in a tree, without the proper gear your are far more likely to fall and injure yourself. If you do not have the right tools for the job, then you are likely to fall from a branch, resulting in serious injury. 

Contractors always work in teams, even on small jobs a contractor on a ladder has someone holding it steady. When you climb a ladder by yourself, a gust of wind could mean the difference between life and death. Why put yourself at risk over a few branches? 

Even if you have a buddy system, grabbing onto the wrong branch could result in a fall straight to the ground. Professionals are trained to know which types of branches are safe and how much pressure they can use when moving. 

2. They’re Cute, but Definitely Not Cuddly 

Nobody is a fan of guests in their house, especially when those guests start to tear the place apart. Chipmunks, Squirrels, Birds, and even Raccoons love to live in trees, cutting down parts of their home can be very disturbing. 

When an animal feels cornered, or threatened they will begin to attack, if you are untrained you can accidentally upset an animal without knowing. Even those cute and cuddly birds can show their dark side! 

When up in a tree an animal attack can cause you to fall out of the tree, or even worse, get stuck up in the tree with the animal. If you have guests living in your tree then it is always safest to have a professional do the work, or remove the animal from the tree and put it back after. 

3. ZAP

Trees are always placed unconventionally close to electrical lines, electrical lines that are transmitting 155,000 to 765,000 volts of electricity. If you were to not look where you are snipping or even get distracted for a second, you may cut into one of these lines accidentally, which can cause fatal injuries. 

If you are using extended shears you may not be able to see exactly where you are cutting, this can cause you to cut a wire and send a life threatening shock through the shears. Even if you believe you are being completely safe, all it takes is a bit of sun in your eyes to cause an accident. 

If your trees are near power lines, don’t take the risk, it is always safer to call a professional. The extra couple of bucks is worth saving your life and your families! 

4. Honey I Wrecked our Home! 

On the subject of cutting in the wrong place, snipping the wrong branch of a tree could cause severe damage to your property. If you are trimming your branches you may mistake the size of a branch, this branch could be large enough to cause damage to your home, car or even those around you.

Don’t forget that you aren’t the only person at risk, pedestrians, neighbours, and family members could be close by, how often have the kids snuck up on you without warning? These falling branches could severely injure someone, especially a child. 

Aside from injury, even if the branch does no damage on your property, it could manage to injure your bank account by hitting another property. You know that new car your neighbor just got? As much as you’d love to introduce it to a bat, dropping a branch on it can cause thousands of dollars in damage. 

Professionals are equipped with the tools and know how to control where branches fall, which could save lives. Instead of busting out thousands of dollars in repairs, save a whole lot of money by hiring a professional. 

If you are considering pruning your tree, you may want to consider hiring a professional, otherwise you could end up forking out more money than the cost of the contractor! 

Remember, next time you or your loved one want to prune the tree 

• Falling from a tree is quite common and can be fatal 
• Animals are not big fans of losing parts of their homes 
• Electrical lines are everywhere and extremely dangerous 
• Falling branches can cost a life or a life’s savings 

At Man with an Axe, we are your one-stop-shop for any tree or landscaping-related issues. If you have any questions or concerns about the safety of your tree or any other tree-related issues check out our free consultation or give us a call at (647) 799-3057.