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Appreciation post: the old timer who said to quit pruning oak in spring
I was chatting with a retired climber named Dale outside a job site in Akron when he saw my crew trimming oaks in May. He said flat out, "you're painting a welcome mat for beetles with every cut." I pushed back because the customer wanted it done now and the job was already booked. Two months later half that oak dropped leaves and we were back there for removals on my boss's dime. Now I schedule oak work for the cold months and tell customers why, even when they push back. Anyone else had to eat crow on timing like that?
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singh.blair8h ago
That line about painting a welcome mat for beetles is about the best way I have heard it put. What gets me is how fast it went bad for you, because I always figured the beetles needed the wounds to be fresh and the weather to line up just right, not two months later. Did the whole oak go or just the one side where you made the cuts? I am curious what your boss said when the bill came due, since that is usually the part that decides whether a lesson sticks.
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