When you hire a tree service to prune the beautiful, mature trees on your property, you expect them to leave your trees healthier than they found them. But there is a hidden danger in the tree care industry that many homeowners completely overlook until the damage is already done: climbing spikes.
Spikes—also known as spurs—are sharp steel gaffs strapped to a climber’s boots. While they are a standard, acceptable tool for removing a tree that is already dead or coming down, using them to prune a living tree is a major industry violation.
We value the health of our urban forests in the Eastside communities from Bellevue, Issaquah, Redmond, Mercer Island, to North Bend.
At Eastside Tree Works, we do things differently. We utilize spurless climbing techniques for all of our pruning work when climbing is needed. Here is why this advanced method is critical for the long-term survival of your trees, and why our commitment to it sets us apart from the competition.
The Hidden Trauma of Climbing Spikes
To understand why spurless climbing matters, you have to look at what happens to a tree when a climber wearing traditional spikes steps up the trunk. Every single step punctures the tree’s bark, leaving behind deep, open wounds from the root flare all the way into the upper canopy.
Using spikes on a tree you want to keep creates three massive risks:
1. The Open Door for Disease and Pests
A tree’s bark acts exactly like human skin—it is the primary defense system against infection. Every spike hole punctures the cambium (the vital growth layer just beneath the bark). These holes leave the tree highly vulnerable to devastating pests, wood-boring beetles, and fungal spores floating in the wind.
2. Disrupted Nutrient Flow
The cambium layer is responsible for transporting water and nutrients between the roots and the leaves. When a climber punctures this layer hundreds of times during a single pruning session, it severely disrupts the tree’s internal plumbing, often leading to canopy dieback or localized limb failure.
3. Ugly Cosmetic Scarring
Trees do not heal wounds like humans do; they compartmentalize them by growing wood over the damage. Spike holes leave permanent, unsightly scars, sap bleeding, and dark stains running down the trunk of your prized landscape trees. When you live in Snoqualmie, Medina, Kirkland, Mill Creek we know that caring for your trees properly is a part of maintaining your property value.
The Industry Standard: The American National Standards Institute (ANSI A300) explicitly states that climbing spikes should never be used on live trees during typical pruning operations unless branches are out of reach of conventional rope equipment or in an emergency rescue situation.
How Eastside Tree Works Sets the Standard
If spikes are so damaging, why do so many companies still use them? The short answer: Speed and lack of training. Walking up a tree on spikes requires very little technical skill. It is fast, cheap, and easy for uncertified crews to do.
Spurless climbing is an elite craft. It requires advanced knowledge of physics, specialized rope systems, and serious physical conditioning. Our crews use high-tech friction savers, ascending systems, and canopy anchors to glide through your trees without ever puncturing the bark.
The Benefits of Going Spurless
When you choose a company that invests in precision rope access, you are investing in the value of your property:
- Long-Term Tree Health: Zero punctures mean the tree can focus its energy on growing, not trying to seal up hundreds of open wounds.
- Precision Pruning: Ropes give our climbers the freedom to safely walk out to the tips of branches (limb walking) to make perfect, clean cuts spike-bound climbers simply cannot reach.
- Property Safety and Appearance: Advanced rope systems allow us to seamlessly rig and lower heavy limbs with absolute control, protecting your lawn, landscaping, and roof below.
Partner with the Pros
For Homeowners: Protect Your Investment in your Eastside property
Your trees take decades to grow but only minutes to damage. When you get quotes for tree trimming, always ask: “Will your climbers be using spikes?” If the answer is yes, protect your property and call a company that knows the difference. Contact Eastside Tree Works today to schedule a spurless pruning consultation!
For Industry Professionals: Elevate Your Career
Tired of working for companies that cut corners and damage the very trees they are paid to care for? At Eastside Tree Works, we pride ourselves on modern, low-impact arboriculture. We provide our crew members with top-tier gear, continuous safety training, and the time needed to do the job right. Reach out to our office to schedule a time to chat about your career in the tree industry.
