If one of your trees has a fungal disease, often the best approach is to remove the tree. This is especially true when the disease is a highly contagious one, such as oak wilt or walnut blight. Removing the tree protects other nearby trees from the infection, and it also protects your property, since diseased trees are likely to lose limbs and branches. However, there are some precautions you will want to take when removing the tree in order to avoid damage to your property, other trees, and yourself.

1. If it's large or near a house, hire a professional.

If you are handy and have the right equipment, you may wish to remove the diseased tree yourself. But there are circumstances under which you should definitely leave this to the professionals who have experience and training in this field. If the tree is anywhere near your house or another structure, leave it to the pros. You don't want to risk having it fall on your home; insurance may not cover the damage. If the tree is taller than about 20 or 30 feet, you should also leave it to the pros. The larger a tree is, the harder it is to control the direction in which it falls. You do not want a huge tree falling on you, for obvious reasons.

2. Remove major limbs first.

If you do remove the tree yourself, try removing any large limbs before you fell the trunk itself. This will help you better control the direction that the tree falls and reduce the risk of you getting hit with the tree when it falls. 

3. Wear a mask.

Some of the fungi that cause disease in trees are respiratory irritants. The worst time to find out you're allergic or sensitive to the fungi is when you're felling a tree with a chainsaw. So wear a basic face mask while working on the tree.

4. Dispose of the wood properly.

Once the tree is down, you need to properly dispose of the diseased wood. You can burn it, or you can bury it. Do not just let it sit on your property for weeks on end, and do not give it to other people to take off-property to burn. Both of these practices perpetuate the spread of the fungal disease. If you do not have a good place to burn or bury wood, contact your municipality. They will often come out to pick up diseased wood and dispose of it for you, sometimes for a small fee.

With the tips above, you can be safe when removing diseased trees. Contact tree removal services to learn more.