Tree Tops Pest Control

The tree I was worried about--he said was probably not salvageable.

I had a Date Palm I was concerned about. Paul, the Tree Doctor, said it had insects no needed a $400 treatment. He also said the other 3 palms must be treated as well or the bugs would simply return so he wanted $1,600 in total. He then said I needed a quarterly treatment for $300 a quarter. He sounded very knowledgable and claimed a Texas A&M degree. He said the tree oak trees had bugs and needed a treatment for $300 each and annual for $80 each. His prices sounded unreasonable high. I called another tree service and this person (also with an A&M degree and 35 years in the tree business, said the palm was fine and the trunk damage I was concerned with was not rot or insects, but damage from a sprinkler me this was not uncommon for palms (which are part of the grass family). He said what I was told was garbage and he consider people like "the tree doctor" are shysters trying to rip people off. He also said the oaks don't need insect treatment, but that one was planted a foot too high and needed to be replaced, another was in great shape and the third would be slow growing and I could replace it or leave it. In short...avoid Paul Hughes the Tree Doctor at all costs!!!

We conversed multiple times through email because he would not commit to anything other than looking at the tree. We requested that he give us an estimate for removing the two dead branches and give us a diagnosis on what may be the cause of the two branches dying. And on treating the tree for pine beetle infestation. He would not even look at the tree unless we paid him $100.00 consultation fee. Normally service contractors make the initial call to a customer as a free estimating service. So when he wanted money to "look" at the tree we were suspicious of his ability and his company honesty. He started talking about the "pine beetles" and saying the tree was probably not salvageable anyway. His response to giving us an estimate to remove the two dead limbs and treating the tree for this beetle, he told us he did not remove branches. What! Has he read his own web page? We are not going to hire a person to just come "look" at a tree. He was obviously not the specialist he advertises he is. He was more interested in explaining how he was a "real tree doctor" and everyone else in this area were imposters, than he was in helping us save our tree. I would be very careful hiring someone with this kind of attitude. So we decided to go with another Arborist with a good reputation on Angie's List.