Trees, saws, and ladders do not mix.

• Position: Landscaping

"Tree work, while appearing fairly straightforward and simple, is actually extremely complicated and technical," says Tchukki Andersen, staff arborist for the Tree Care Industry Association, Londonderry, N.H.. "There is so much to understand about removing live or hanging tree branches, and it is not at all like cutting up firewood on the ground with a chain saw.

"There are many stories in the news media each year depicting the sad details of homeowners getting severely injured or killed by attempting to manage large tree limbs on their own."

Qualified tree professionals are trained to look for and take special precautions against trees or branches with decay, cracks, or unbalanced weight; working near overhead electrical wires and other conductors; preventing falls from trees they are working in; removing portions of or entire trees without causing bodily harm or property damage.

Do-it-yourself homeowners have been hurt trying to cut their own trees in the following manners:

Extension ladders. If your ladder is too short to reach the branch, do not make the mistake of setting it on something such as on overturned garbage can to get the reach you need. Get a sturdy ladder that will reach at least five feet beyond the branch you lean it on. When a large branch is cut from a tree, the loss of the weight will cause the rest of the limb to lurch up suddenly. Many unaware homeowners have been severely injured, some fatally, when the ladder they are standing on falls out from under the branch they are cutting...