Trimming Trees While Looking After Wildlife

If you have several trees in your yard that are in dire need of trimming due to long branches, you should take special steps to ensure the safety of any wildlife during the trimming process. Many small animals such as squirrels and birds will nest in trees from late winter to autumn, making it difficult to find a great time to trim trees without disturbing young babies. Here are some tips you can use to keep your trees healthy by doing your routine trimming without hurting animals that may be using the tree as a home.

Trimming At The Best Time

The best time to trim a tree is when it is in a dormant state, which would be from late fall to late winter. Waiting until spring or summer months can cause a tree to become diseased or become an attraction to harmful pests, possibly hurting the tree after the trimming process. To avoid this, do your trimming before spring begins. Squirrel and birds are both known to have babies from late winter to late summer, making it difficult to trim trees that have nests in them. Special precautions will need to be be taken to keep both trees and animals safe.

Looking Before You Cut

Before you start your tree trimming project, take a close look at the tree to see if there are any hidden animal homes. Squirrels nests are usually a few feet in diameter and are located in a crook area between large stumps of a tree. They may be located several feet in the air. Bird's nests are often in similar locations but are smaller in size.

Look for dirt, small twigs and bramble in the trees before you start to do your cutting. Knowing where nests are located can help you avoid them completely when you do your trimming. Trim the branches around them and go back to the branches the nest is located upon after the inhabitants have moved out.

Moving A Nest

If you go out to your tree to start trimming and notice there is a squirrel's lair or a bird's nest with babies or eggs inside, put on some gloves, sprinkle some dirt on them to help cover up the scent of your skin from getting through the fibers, and gently take it out of the tree. Place it inside a cardboard box in a safe place while you are doing your trimming. When you have completed the trimming, place the nest back where you had found it. 

If you need help with your tree care and trimming, contact a local tree removal and service company. 

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