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Trees, Children and Safety Concerns: 4 Reasons Your Child's Safety Might Warrant Tree Removal

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When you have young children, a large yard is a godsend. An open yard that is well-secured and safe allows you to take care of household duties while your children play safely outdoors. But children are sometimes too curious for their own good. That's why you need to make sure that any trees in your yard won't pose any danger to your children.

Australia has many regulations regarding tree removal. However, if the safety of your children is at risk, you may be granted permission to remove a hazardous tree on your property.

Some Trees Drop Branches

In Australia, the warm climate causes trees to shed branches. For instance, the phenomenon known as "summer limb drop" can cause healthy tree branches to break off without warning. During the day, trees draw a large amount of water up to their limbs. This water is usually released into the air as moisture. However, a drop in temperature will pose a problem.

If the temperature drops suddenly, trees aren't able to release the stored water. Thus, the weight of the stored water may cause a tree limb to break off and fall to the ground. Moreover, some tree species, such as eucalyptus trees, are notorious for dropping limbs. If one of your trees poses this risk, your children's' safety warrants its removal.

Trees Attract Yellow Jackets

In Australia, some wasp species, such as the infamous European wasp, are highly aggressive when disturbed. These wasps have a painful sting and can cause dangerous allergic reactions. Bees and wasps are so dangerous in Australia, they send twice as many people to hospital as poisonous snakes.

If your tree is a wasp magnet each spring and summer, your children are at risk of being stung. Wasps visit aphid-infested trees in large numbers, and they also build nests in tree hollows. If your children cannot safely play outside because your tree is infested with wasps, removing the tree will end the risk for good.

Trees Near Power Lines Can Be Deadly

It goes without saying that a climbable tree in the vicinity of overhead power lines is not something that should be within reach of children. It shouldn't be very difficult to get a permit for removal of a tree that poses this kind of risk.

Some Trees Are Toxic to Children

It pays to be knowledgeable about the trees and plants in your yard if there are children or pets around. The berries and leaves of trees such as holly, horse chestnut and cherry, contain toxins that are harmful to pets and children if ingested. If you want your children to be safe while playing in your yard, you should consider removing these trees.

When assessing your yard for safety hazards, don't overlook any trees. Children are curious souls and lack the maturity to understand the dangers posed by trees. If you are sure that a tree in your yard could pose a safety risk to your children, get in touch with an arborist from companies like Family Tree Care Pty Ltd. With their help you can get the necessary permits you need to legally have a tree removed. 


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