If you’re lucky enough to have trees on your property, then you know how much they improve a yard’s aesthetics. By providing shade, dividing up the space, and adding a general sense of liveliness to the property, they greatly improve the feeling of your yard. When they do so much, it’s understandable why many homeowners are hesitant to chop them up. But if you do leave your trees in place, you need to accept the extra yard work they create. Leaves need to be raked and fallen limbs removed from the yard. You also need to trim the trees from time to time to avoid damage to your home and unsightly rot. But how can you tell when it’s time to prune your trees? Here are the top four signs that your trees need a trim.

Splintered or Broken Branches

When the heftier branches of your trees are already partly broken, then it’s only a matter of time before they snap all together and come tumbling down. It’s best to get them trimmed before they fall unexpectedly and do damage to a house, car, or person.

Branches Over or Among Power Lines

When trees grow up around power lines, it creates an extremely dangerous situation. A fallen limb can cause a fire, which is why you need to deal with this problem before disaster strikes.

Limbs Over the House

You need to look up at your trees and imagine the damage each and every limb could do if it were to fall. When larger limbs stretch out over your roof, you should get them cut before a storm brings them down on top of your house.

Diseased Trees

Like almost any organism, trees are susceptible to disease. Often, the problem starts in a single branch or in a particular portion of the tree. If you catch the disease early enough, you can chop off the affected bits before the whole tree becomes infected and dies. Keep your eyes peeled for dead branches or severe discoloration, both of which are common signs of a seriously diseased tree.

Pruning trees can be difficult, and you might lack the equipment and experience to do it yourself. This is now excuse to leave the job undone. When you see the signs above, contact a company with 24/7 tree services to have your limbs professionally trimmed. That way, you’ll know your trees are healthy and your house is safe.