We’re officially into hurricane season, and at the top of the list of preparations should be trimming or cutting dead or diseased trees before a gale-force wind blows through.
“Now is the time to get that done to minimize property damage,” advises Dreyson Bergeron II, owner of Southern Cut Tree Service in Erath, who says his busiest time is after a storm or hurricane.
If you’re looking for a certified, experienced arborist, Dreyson has been cutting and trimming trees since he was about 12. “My dad had a firewood business, so in the summers I’d always help him trim trees, tear down barns and reclaim wood,” he recalls. The Erath native worked for several years as a natural gas compressor mechanic when, during COVID in 2020, he decided to start a side business doing what came naturally to him. It soon became his full-time job.
Since then, Southern Cut Tree Service has been beautifying Vermilion Parish and the surrounding areas, trimming and cutting trees and stump grinding as well as clearing overgrown lots in preparing land for new construction.
No job is too big – or small – for Dreyson and his men, who have cut some monster-sized trees, up to 120 feet tall, with the aid of a bucket truck extending up to 65 feet. In a project for the Erath policy jury, Southern Cut removed nearly 50 pine trees around the city, each 60 feet tall. Dreyson has skillfully cut down large trees that were very close to or, in some cases, leaning against buildings. One particularly challenging job involved taking down a tree that had been planted in the center of a home. “The roof was around the trunk of the tree, and the tree canopy was above the whole house,” he recalls.
Experienced in identifying tree diseases and pest infestations, Dreyson says the area has lost many pine and magnolia trees in the last two years. “It usually happens as a result of drought or some sort of injury, like lightning, creating a cavity in the tree where insects move in,” he explains.
Keeping trees healthy year-round is the best way to protect them from damage during storms, and to protect your property – and your neighbor’s.
Dreyson shares three common tree care mistakes:
-Pruning incorrectly, causing branches to die and attract insects
-Volcanic mulching, piling mulch up against a tree’s trunk, eventually creating moisture at its base
-Planting live oaks, and other tall trees, under power lines or too close to homes. Dreyson recommends installing a root barrier while the tree is young.
Keep Southern Cut Tree Service in mind when you’re in need lumber or, this fall, when stocking up on firewood for the winter, as Dreyson provides both since recently purchasing a sawmill.
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