The Right Tree Care
Arborists make a career of caring for trees. Arborists gain qualifications to practice arboriculture in a variety of ways and some arborists are more qualified than others. Experience working safely and effectively in and around trees is essential. Arborists tend to specialize in one or more disciplines of arboriculture, such as diagnosis and treatment, climbing and pruning, cabling and lightning protection, or perhaps consultation and report writing. All these disciplines are related and some arborists are very well experienced in all areas of tree work, but not all arborists have the training or experience to properly practice every discipline.
Here are several tips for selecting an arborist:
Avoid arborists who routinely top trees.
Have more than one arborist look at the job, and get a written bid specifying work to be done.
Ask for and check local references.
Beware of an arborist who wants to remove a living tree. Removal of live trees is sometimes needed, but should be the last resort.
Ask for certification of personal and property liability insurance and workman's compensation. Then phone the insurance company to make certain the policy is current.
Low price is a poor gauge of a quality arborist. Often, the better ones are more expensive because of more specialized equipment, more professional help and insurance costs.
