Dead and hazardous tree removal in Monroe, LA
Dead pines, hollow water oaks and trees with a new lean are the most common hazard calls in Ouachita Parish. Here's how to tell what you have.
A hazard tree is one that has a defect and something valuable to land on: the house, the carport, a fence, the street or the neighbor's yard. Hazard trees often look fine from the road, so pay attention to the trunk, the base and the upper crown.
Dead and dying pines
The LSU AgCenter says drought, lightning, root rot and wind damage stress pines and make them attractive to Ips bark beetles. Signs include browning in part or all of the crown, sawdust in the bark crevices or around the base, and lots of small round holes in the bark. Once a pine is infested, the AgCenter says chemical treatment doesn't work, and it recommends removing infested and badly stressed pines. Statewide, lawmakers held hearings in 2024 on thousands of dead standing pines left after the 2023 drought.
Old water oaks
Water oaks are everywhere in Monroe and West Monroe yards. An LSU AgCenter article describes them as weaker-wooded than most oaks, prone to wind and ice damage, and poor at resisting decay once wounded, and it cites Clemson Extension writers who say trunks often rot by around age 50. The AgCenter author considers large water oaks with broken branches and cavities near homes, structures or parking areas to be hazard trees and recommends removing them.
Signs to have it checked
- A brown or thinning crown on a pine, or sawdust at the base
- Cavities, cankers or seams of rot on a large oak trunk
- Mushrooms or conks growing from the root flare
- A new lean, lifted soil or snapped roots
- Big dead limbs over the roof, drive or street
How hazard removals are handled
Dead wood is brittle, so many crews won't climb a badly decayed tree and will use a bucket truck or crane instead. Expect the company to look the tree over carefully before committing to a method, and make sure the contract spells out how the wood will be lowered and hauled.
The tree company sets the price after it sees the tree, what's underneath it and how a truck or lift can reach it. We don't quote prices, and any figure you get over the phone before a visit is only a rough starting point.
Where we connect you with help
Common questions
Can a beetle-infested pine be saved?
Generally no. The LSU AgCenter says chemical treatment is ineffective once Ips beetles infest a pine and recommends removing infested trees.
Are water oaks dangerous?
Not all of them, but the LSU AgCenter calls them weak-wooded and prone to decay. Large water oaks with cavities or broken limbs near a house should be looked at by a licensed arborist.
Related services
More background: Monroe, Louisiana tree removal guide.
Water oak on the roof, a dead pine by the drive or a stump in the yard?
Call and get connected with a local tree service that can come look at it.