Experts estimate that more than 90 percent of wild honeybee colonies in North America have vanished in the last 10 years. Harsh weather conditions, overuse of pesticides, and attacks by two varieties of mites have decimated wild populations of these important pollinators. Cabrina Bosco, an experienced beekeeper, was invited to a Limbwalker foreman meeting to discuss beekeeping, the importance of bee conservation, and what to do if we ever came across a hive.

On a hot June Friday, Rick Denbeau, Jason Raisor, and Greg Cushing were removing an dead cherry tree. The colony was about thirty feet in the canopy of the long dead tree, but there was no sign of the bees until the tree was felled into the yard. Once the tree was on the ground, Jason went to untie the pull line. He was swarmed and stung dozens of times. Rick was also stung. Eyewitness accounts were both animated and dramatic, as the bees had surprise and fury on their side.

Cabrina Bosco was called to the scene. She and an assistant were able to retrieve the portion of the hive containing the queen and set a trap for the rest of the worker bees. By Wednesday of the following week, the bees were successfully relocated and Limbwalker was able to finish the job.

Follow this link to see more photos of the rescue.

All of Limbwalker’s production tree-crew members recently underwent training in First Aid, CPR, and the use of Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs). The American Red Cross course was led by instructor Richard Allen at the Limbwalker shop. The twelve crew members who participated in the training were instructed in how to recognize, assess, and respond to common medical emergencies. Their new skills include treating victims for shock, helping a choking victim, responding to cardiac emergencies, and rendering First Aid in a variety of emergency situations.

Emergency preparedness and ongoing training is a cornerstone of our safety program. This emergency medical training further ensures that our team members stay current with all of the knowledge and tools they may need to perform their work safely. Instructor Allen also assessed the contents of the custom First Aid kits, which are standard on all of Limbwalker’s vehicles, to make sure that our crews have access to any resources they would need to respond to most emergency scenarios.

Our first Arborist In Residence (AIR) for 2010 was Josephine Hedger. Josephine operates a tree care service in the United Kingdom. She was the 2008 Women’s World Tree Climbing Champion. She also set a new world record for the Women’s Footlock at that competition, climbing 40 feet in an incredible 15.88 seconds.

Josephine was interested in coming to Limbwalker Tree Service after hearing the experiences of previous AIR participants and discovering the sunny attitude and friendship of the tree care industry in the United States. Josephine worked with our crews for 6 days prior to a tree climbing competition in Charlotte, NC. She returned to Louisville to work and play for an additional week, after the Icelandic volcano eruption suspended flights back to Europe.

Even after long hours in heat and humidity she is not accustomed to, her attitude was fantastic and her stamina and willingness to work were remarkable. Working with such an adept and experienced climber was a fantastic opportunity for our arborists and a chance for everyone to share skills and ideas. We have all also made a great friend. We asked her to share some of the highlights of her visit…

“I had the opportunity to climb species of trees which we do not see here in the UK. The highlight for me was climbing some huge beautiful Pin Oak trees, as they do not get that big here. We also had some difficult trees to work on, and to me that is the challenge of this job that I love. Finally, as someone who runs a tree care company, it was refreshing to turn up to a job I hadn’t seen, do the work, and be finished for the day. Most people think that I am mad to want to go on holiday and work, but climbing trees in my eyes isn’t work….just one big playground!

This was the best ‘holiday’ I have ever had. Limbwalker made me very welcome. Everyone that works there is a great individual character, I was pleased to rotate around the crews and work with everyone. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Limbwalker (both at work and at play) and would highly recommend the AIR program.”

Thanks Josephine. Good luck in your upcoming European competitions, and we hope to be cheering you on in Chicago at this year’s international competition!!!

Limbwalker Tree Service, Inc has just become the first (and only) tree care company in Kentucky to achieve Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA) Accreditation. The TCIA is a trade association of more than 2,000 commercial tree care services and affiliated companies. This “seal of approval” helps consumers identify tree care companies that have been inspected and accredited based on adherence to industry standards for quality and safety, maintenance of trained and professional staff, and a dedication to ethics and quality in business practices.

TCIA verified this by conducting an on-site audit of Limbwalker’s facilities and work sites. The review verifies compliance with:
• best business practices
• ethical business conduct
• formal training and certification of employees
• compliance with industry standards
• consumer satisfaction
• adherence to safety standards
• insurance coverage

TCIA’s on-site auditor, John Iurka, included in the official report, “Limbwalker is one of the best new small companies that I have audited. Their commitment to safe and professional operations is admirable. Their training regimen could be a goal for many companies.”

TCIA Accreditation for Limbwalker is in effect for a period of three years, with renewal check-ups required every year. The annual renewal ensures that the company continues to employ trained professionals, is still properly insured and has a good safety and consumer satisfaction rating. The company is reaccredited every three years.

The process of becoming accredited was no easy task. According to Cory Petry, co-owner of Limbwalker Tree Service, Inc., “The process is incredibly thorough. They left no stone unturned. We are pleased to have proven ourselves and to be recognized as one of the best tree care companies in the area.” TCIA interim president & CEO Mark Garvin echoes that sentiment by adding, “Limbwalker Tree Service, Inc. has made a commitment to excellence in all facets of its business. I applaud their efforts.”

On Saturday, April 3rd, Chris O’Bryan led a Tree Walk & Talk at Baringer Hill in Cherokee Park. An early morning spring shower threatened to postpone the event, but the members of the Olmsted Park Conservancy who did attend were rewarded with sunshine just as the walk began.

The primary topic of the walk was tree identification, but included a bit of tree appreciation as well. Since most of the deciduous trees have not leafed out yet, the attendees of the walk learned identify based on bud development and bark. Trees covered included American Beech (Fagus grandifolia), Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum), Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia), Yellowwood (Cladrastis kentukea), Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis), Sassafras (Sassafras albidum), Black Walnut (Juglans nigra), and American Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis).

Limbwalker crews provided three days of volunteer work in Cherokee Park during February of 2010. Our team performed pruning and hazard tree felling in several areas, on trees which remained damaged from Hurricane Ike in 2008 and the ice storm of 2009. Limbwalker worked closely with Louisville Metro Parks and Olmsted Parks Conservancy to identify and remove the most hazardous hanging limbs and toppled trees. We appreciate the opportunity to donate our time to care for and enhance our community’s urban forest.

Limbwalker Tree Service Awarded the Angie’s List Super Service Award

Angie’s List, a consumer report web page about service companies in the community, has awarded Limbwalker Tree Service with the Angie’s List Super Service Award. This exclusive recognition is given annually to service companies who have achieved and maintained a superior service rating on Angie’s List throughout the past year. It is the highest honor given to companies by Angie’s List. Fewer than 5% of service companies on Angie’s List meet the eligibility requirements to be considered and even fewer actually receive the award.
We are very proud to have our professionalism and the quality of our work be recognized. We are prouder still that it is the consumers, our clients, who have consistently graded our performance so highly. This acknowledgment further strengthens our commitment to provide the best quality care and experience for our customers.

If you are an Angie’s List member, please log in to read our reviews on their website.

Limbwalker Tree Service commissioned a local artist, Shawna Khalily to create a limited edition of woodcut prints. Hand colored and signed by the artist, these were gorgeous gifts and cards for our clients this year end.
You can see more of Shawna’s work at her website, www.khalily.com

The Kentucky Arborists Association (KAA) held this year’s climbing competition on the grounds of the Henry Clay Estate in Lexington, KY. The three finalists competing in the Masters Challenge were all Limbwalker Tree Service climbers. These were Rick Denbeau, Chris O’Bryan, and Cory Petry. They finished in that order, and Denbeau will represent the KAA chapter at the International Tree Climbing Championship this coming summer in Chicago.

Rick Denbeau, competing in the aerial rescue event. Kentucky Tree Climbing Championship.

A Limbwalker crew, led by foremen Rick Denbeau and Jeff Richmer, was performing a large removal in a tight back yard. It was a humid, 95-degree day. A utility worker, performing work on a utility pole in the same yard, collapsed from heat exhaustion. Jeff immediately called 911, providing the dispatcher with the situation and address of the jobsite. Rick approached the scene, recognized the need for an aerial rescue and formulated a plan. With help from the other utility workers, Rick and Jeff were able to safely bring the unresponsive victim down off the utility pole and into the care of EMS waiting below.

This rescue was performed swiftly, smoothly, and efficiently, an excellent example of the importance of proper training, preparation, and education.