1. Contact your insurance agent immediately and if possible take photographs of the damage. Most homeowner policies will reimburse costs related to removing trees from structures and some may pay “reasonable” costs up to $500 for removing trees or tree debris from your property.

2. Hire a licensed arborist to do anything other than minor cleanup around your home. Be sure that anyone working on your property has personal injury, property liability & Workmens Compensation insurance for themselves or any sub-contractors. Check their references.

For a list of licensed arborists, contact the Massachusetts Arborists Association at 508-653-3320 or see www.massarbor.org 

3. Inspect all trees for injury. Windstorms often cause unseen root injuries. Clean up and remove any bark, branches or other debris so it won’t harbor insects that attack injured trees.

4. During periods of dry weather, water surviving trees that have been injured. If it hasn’t rained an inch any week, use a soaker hose to water the tree over several hours so water can be absorbed deep into the soil.

5. Don’t agree to any pesticide applications without being sure they are needed: in the case of bark beetles, pesticides won’t affect beetles that are already in the tree.