On Thu, 09 Sep 2004 03:19:09 GMT, "Mook Johnson"
wrote:

Hi folks,

First time posting here so be patient if I ask FAQ or silly questions.

I built a house last year on a 1/3 acre lot with 5 full grown oaks in the
back, 2 young (10ft tall) oaks in the front and a unidentified tree (ash
maybe) in the side.

My neighbors have had there trees suddendly die on them after 8 or so months
of living in the house. The guy that cleared them out said it was boring
insects that got them.
More likely, the guy himself and/or the rest of the construction
process trenched the root zone and compacted the soil to the point
that the trees could not survive it, but it took 8 months to use up
the stored energy the trees had before the construction began
(sometimes the full effects of construction won't be known for 5
years).

I trimmed a dead limb off the Ash (i think) with a rope chain and the limb
had some pencil sized bore holes in it. I dug out what looked to be deab
bug coons or something.

I called a profesional tree service and they quoted $350 to fertilize and
treat the trees with (A) PHC for trees and super seaweed, and (B) Permethrin
TC for boring insects.
I'm torn. Generally, I think fertilization is a good way to pay for
the applicator's boat, but these guys are using organic products and
might have a little sense of what trees need. I still think the best
way to fertilize is to spread a layer of manure compost over the
entire yard, then top off the root zone(s) of the trees with a
3"-thick layer of organic mulch. The decaying organic matter will
feed the ecosystem of the soil, and the healthy soil will feed the
roots, which will feed the trees and allow them to become healthy
enough to recover from any seconadary insect damage that may occur.
Either way, I would not bother trying to kill the insects. Again,
they are almost definitely secondary to the main problem of
construction damage.

They also offered a tree trimming service quote for $790 for the trees
mentioned above.

Are these reasonable prices? Is there something I can do DIY to protect my
trees?

Impossible to say without seeing the trees. I've charged well over
$1000 to prune one tree, and I've charged $200 to prune 10 trees.
Depends on size, species, health of trees and parameters of the
pruning.

Visit the ISA link in my sig below to find out more about treating
construction damage.

good luck,
Keith Babberney
IS Certified Arborist

For more info about the International Society of Arboriculture, please visit http://www.isa-arbor.com/home.asp.
For consumer info about tree care, visit http://www.treesaregood.com/