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Fixing to rock up at the car park @ 10 am...dont leave without me! Its a bit of a trek and traffic is unpredictable. I have your mob number though Tony, so will drop you a text if it all goes pete tong...Cant have people waiting around for stragglers! Guess the car park is off Cassiobury Avenue, and Gade Ave? Tim

Sorry Matt if you took my last post as me being a bit short...! Im sure you didnt. You certainly did not need to as the point being made was that whatever your contractor/officer/degree/masters genius was saying, was being repeated out of context....And this we/I respect.It is often ( perhaps too often) an emotive issue, further complicated by complex science and varying factors- Its actually real hard to make the points that seem to need making in threads on discussion boards where there are any number of reasons and opinions being postulated, often in quick succession and without due consideration to the thread; either as a whole or with respect to individual posts..... I guess I should simply have said.."beware generlisations" but nit seemed a bit obvious somehow...No offence intended!

Just cos I like stirring it all up again John....what was your professional recommendation out of interest? (ie, your preferred course of action) Tim edit: cheers for posting Arbogrunt....your post highlights why we get so excited and at times, so at odds with each over these issues. There are no black and white answers whilst at the same time, there's science a plenty to which we can refer and defer even.....I guess Im just sucker for an argument about who knows best where trees are concerned. Not sorry about that!

Ive used it and didn't like much...It wears really fast aswell, only has a safe working life of 6 months and as posted above, doesn't meet standards other than the manufacturers....

Wow...this goes back a ways David....! In answer to the riddle comes only more questions Im afraid! Did the host die as a result of infection? ( This is not intended as a trick question BTW ) I think its clear that some fung will switch mode whilst others do not...and further, this change may well be triggered by a -another , contributing factor...

"I manage trees that have the potential to be managed & I cut Trees down that don't. " This is the crux of the matter.....there is no future in a process that fails to stick to this basic principle. No ifs , buts or maybe's . Just how successful we are as an industry will be measured by this same principle in years to come. Remember, we are not going to be judged by how much arguing and/or discussion we manged to cram into any given decade.....

Im not in agreement with your comment about a less risk oriented approach...NTSG is in no way suggesting we ignore risk. Rather, it seeks to address what in it's view, has become an over estimated risk......For this, there needs to have been some "quantification" but given recently aired views about thick arborists who dont know 6 is 9 , just the other way up....I will withdraw hastily!

"i've been taught by my colleagues and contractors that we use that fruiting bodies only expose themselves after being in the tree for a few years which by that time the damage has already been done and will only get worse. Is that correct?"-Not exactly , no. Its a generalisation and it is not that simple...Any arborist who thinks it is, simply has not done the fairly basic legwork which would shatter these cosy one liners that explain the universe! Example...birch is infected with polypore at cellulat level even as uninitiated seed.....By this reckoning....its all over for the birch afore it's started!

Im not trying to deconstruct your method AC , but I am interested to know how many consultants ever really find themselves on the wrong end of legislation...As a climber, it is not realistic to expect increased payment with increased risk ( in general terms ) although I have always thought it should be reflected in remuneration. I suppose I am asking how well the idea of cost can be related to the "quantified " associated risk as I am not sure there should be higher risks involved as afterall, the survey/report covers liability by its very nature in that it would presumably state that risk is significant. Otherwise you end up charging people for the perceived risk associated and as we all know...there seems precious little agreement, industry wide, on that thorny devil!

What are you worth an hour...? What are your overheads (travel, Prof Ind Ins) ? How long will it take (hours)? 1x2x3= cost of survey. The price you charge needs to reflect this at the very minimum....Hope it helps Tim.

Hi Matty, Im certainly no expert with bees but I am cultivating a bit more than a passing interest in them; I have some 40,000 insects in my back yard! Nests are significantly "subdued" during the colder winter months . Bees do not hibernate as such . Rather they reduce their levels of activity and survive in a large "group hug". The downside, potentially, with dealing with them in winter is that if they are disturbed into activity, they put themselves in the situation they are trying to protect themselves from...using much needed energy and so compromising the "over winter " reserves. Sounds like you know a bit from your comments. It would be favorite to get the bees moved as a colony imo. They are not unduly worked up about chainsaws. It sounds a bit crazy but they are likely to give you more problems if you block their entrance during the dismantle (IMO ) Get yourself a back up plan though. They vary in temperament quite alot too. If they get knarly, you will need to take action somehow. Alot of people will have not discovered the hive until they are right there in front of the bees. Contact your local BeeKeeping Association for further advice and support. They are likely to have members who will be only too happy to rescue a colony as they are a valuable asset in their own right. Most areas have a "swarm helpline"- You are probably going to be able to assist in their removal and relocation if access is at height anyway so why not call up for some expert assistance and support? ( Not to mention veils and other protective gear, smokers etc....) Id aim to remove the colony in a one hit move, complete, the way you may have seen bat habitat lowered carefully to the ground perhaps. They are actually not interested in what you will be doing and stinging kills them...It is a last resort for these creatures! Hope it helps. Thanks for posting Matty. Good luck with it and I hope you find the patience and people to make it possible to do the right thing! Tim

At first I thought it might be an Innonotus....then I see the way the bracket persists, and the added cracking. Also shows some new fb development on the lower bracket....Dont suppose yoiu know the history of the FB do you? I take it this is in Sweden? Anyway, I wouldnt be too quick to rush to an ID..perhaps if my effort is met with concurrance amongst my colleagues, you might feel a bit more confident? Anyhoo. reckon it might be a Phellinus myself.....despite its rather symmetric presentation! Tim.

Seems to be proof, if it were needed, that a little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing!

Ha ha ha..... An then use it to keep your trousers up when seeking refreshment in the bar no doubt. GRCS is good gear. :thumbup1:No option to swap winch to bollard mid stream though eh?

Double plus score....

I wish I could endorse this sentiment; I really do. But if you think the LPA's are at fault by way of a myriad of competence re:legislation, interpretation and implementation...I can't honestly harbour much hope for policies based around strict parameters the like of which you describe...

Reassuring post! Get it down......

Not used the la systems but think they are probably seen coming quite frankly. I know they need to be capable in ways a private practice is not necssarily going to require, but LA's are not known for spending budgets based on anything from the real world...OPPpps, did I say that out loud? Good! Pear will send a trial package...Just load the cd and away you go....license withheld of course- Oh, and you gotta use a windows system HTH Tim

What do people think are the prospects of these software products for digital surveys being tailored for Apple systems (Unix)? Tim.

Interesting claim AC. Please post your find if you are successful as, like you, I found them to be seriously flawed and/or limited below the £1500 mark...!

Nice one...!

Only just seen this ( if it aint trees, I aint looking..ooops! ) Not quite...I too see a gap where "Live chat" used to be I :001_smile:think. oh, sponsored links..I knew that!

I am intrigued by what appears like grains of brown rice embedded on the surface ( central image 2) And further, just to the left of these there appears lighter patch underside of recessed bark platelets...? ( Whilst I am here....the slight differences in tone on the "exposed" bark ( 4 want of better description) appears as you might expect, albeit at an under-developed stage.) Not much use..I am good at that though!

Looks like bark missing, as you say! Anyway, looks like abnormal growth for the species....Seems to follow a narrow channel up on right side. Could be beginnings of rib formation? Not sure I would be too suspicious of it without further examination. Something don't quite look right though....Whats with all the fibrous strands?

These any good...? treeblog - El Grande, Australia's largest tree, toppled australias biggest tree burns - Google Search