Covid-19: Its impact on our roles in arboriculture

 After all this time has passed, we now know which regulations work against this disease and should be adhered to. All professional arborists in Melbourne are very careful about rules now more than ever, and clients’ safety is the most important to them. 

Arboriculture in Australia falls under essential services

At the time of a horrible pandemic like COVID, many may not regard arboriculture as one of the main requirements, which is reasonable for the most part. However, as the lockdown becomes longer and longer, an unmanned garden can begin turning into a potential threat - first to the garden itself, then to your house, then to you and your family, and then to your neighbours as well.

List of services provided by arborists in Melbourne that are marked as essential by the Australian government 

According to the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), if you face any of the following troubles with your garden, you need to call an arborist in Melbourne immediately:

• If there is a potentially hazardous tree in your garden, it needs to be tamed by cabling or bracing or removed completely.

• If your tree has dead, dying, or any dangerous limbs, they need to be pruned.

• If one of your trees has contracted an infectious disease, especially if it is caused by invasive insects, it will spread throughout your garden very quickly and destroy all the trees. So it needs to be treated with a priority.

• Utility lines need to be cleared.

• In case a tree, a tree limb, or a tree stump is interfering with road safety, it is to be cleared as soon as possible.

• If there is storm damage, it needs to be taken care of right away.

• Ticks, mosquitos, rodents, and some other public health issues arise from a garden if it goes unattended for too long. These need to be dealt with promptly.

• Fire damaged or fuel trees in a fire hazard area are required to be removed quickly.

• If there are any more emergencies as described above, they should be addressed as urgent and an arborist report in Melbourne should be made.

At the time of COVID-19, it is important that the garden owner knows the signs of an imminent threat from the garden

Earlier it was easy to call up an arborist in Melbourne anytime and have him/her take a look at your garden. In this lockdown, with many safety restrictions as well as lack of staff everywhere, that is not possible. That’s exactly why you, the owner of the garden, should be aware of at least the signs when you absolutely need to call up a professional.

Whether or not you are aware, we have mentioned all the signs when you would need to give the experts a call, so that you don’t miss anything potentially dangerous.

• Signs of sickness in a tree:

Sick trees are dangerous in a number of ways and need to be attended pronto by a specialist in arboriculture from Australia.

1. • Tree canker:

If your tree has spottings on an area and lost the bark, it may have contracted a disease called “tree canker”. Leaving this tree untreated will let this spot grow and ultimately your tree will die from inside and fall down.

1. • Infection on the leaves:

If the tree leaves have grown yellow or red lines around them, it may be the indication of a highly contagious bacterial infection called “leaf scorch” which will be spread by insects to your entire garden. You need to remove this tree at the earliest.

• Signs of decay:

If you see any sign of decay in your tree, it is extremely important that you get an arborist report in Melbourne done on it and let them take care of it immediately.

1. • Branches and trunks went weak:

Brown branches, stunted growth in the branches, and splitting signs in the trunk can be indications of decay. This usually spreads very fast and kills the tree and everything the area around it in case the dead tree falls down.

1. • Unexpected leaf-shedding:

Discoloured, shrivelled, or shedding leaves are never a good sign. In addition, if the tree limbs seem to creak or moan, that means it’s time for tree removal.

• When budding is stunted:

Even for a slow budding tree, if you notice the budding to have stopped completely for almost two years, your tree may be ill.

• Fungi-covered tree:

Fungi only feed on dying or dead organic matter. While some fungi on your tree is normal, if the trunk of your tree is completely covered in fungi, your tree might be dying. 

• When your tree-structure is a threat:

Your tree’s foundation sometimes may become a threat to everyone. 

1. • Roots growing too strong:

If the roots of your tree grow too strong, sometimes they destroy the structure of your house itself. This tree has to be extracted if you want to save your house.

1. • Your tree causing trouble for your neighbours:

Tree sap can harm a vehicle’s paint and cause mildew to grow, or a tree’s branches might reach your neighbours’ territory which might cause inconvenience or harm to your neighbour. Tree care services are the right call to make at these times.

1. • Your tree is leaning dangerously:

Leaning for a tree is not usually a good sign. You should get it checked if it is tilted beyond 15 degrees from the vertical.

1. • Your tree has become hollow:

If you find out that the trunk of a tree has become hollow, you never really know when it can fall down. So it is smart to remove the tree soon.

Arborists in Melbourne are taking special care at this time of COVID-19 for proving you with a safe service

We understand that at this time of COVID-19 crisis, safety is paramount. So not only do we take wholesome safety precautions in our workplace, we are extra careful when you call us over to perform an unavoidable tree care service.

Arborist employees are extra careful

All tree care employees follow strict regulations from organisations specialising in arboriculture in Australia as below:

• There are no workers with flu-like symptoms coming to work. Any evidence of occupational symptoms is documented at once. Also, every day we monitor the employees' temperature.

• All respiratory rules are given by WHO is practised at all times by everyone, including coughing and sneezing into the elbow and wearing a mask and face shields at all times.

• Equipment never gets mixed up and are always sanitised before using.

• Social distancing is strictly followed in the offices and client’s places.

• Commonly touched objects such as a door handle for a car, steering wheels, work surfaces and equipment are regularly disinfected.

• Employees are advised to clean their hands with sanitisers containing at least 60 per cent alcohol or wash with soap for at least 20 seconds in periodic intervals, especially if they touch a potentially infected object.

• The manufacturer’s instructions are religiously followed for use of all cleaning and disinfection products.

Arborists in Melbourne are particularly considerate of clients

Once the arborist report in Melbourne is to be taken from a client property, the rules for workers are even more stringent:

• When tree care specialists are on the job site, customers and all others are advised to stay indoors, practise physical distancing of at least 6 feet at all times, and wear face covers if they come outside. We avoid all sorts of physical communication, including a handshake, with customers.

• On-site, workers wear all-covered uniforms that are disinfected every day before and after their job is done.

Conclusion

In case you find some or all of the abovementioned signs in your garden, don’t be afraid to consult an expert arborist in Melbourne. A hazardous tree removal comes under essential services, and we all perform it with utmost care and safety. A dangerous tree removal falls under critical services, and we all conduct it with utmost care and protection.