Treespasser

Hi all, Would like a hand to identify this fungi please. Fruiting body found on lower stem of a large mature Oak. I think the two most likely suspects are Laetiporus sulphureus or Inonotus sp., but any suggestions are welcome Many thanks in advance

Hi all, I've been looking at the Stihl/Husqvarna Chainsaw Bags that are available on the internet, namely the ones on Honeybros. I'm wondering, from people with experience of these bags, what are the fumes like when transporting a saw with one in a car. I have done this a number of times now without one of these bags and sometimes leaving the saw in the car boot, I'm getting fed up of the general fume smell from it. Does anyone know if these bags minimize the smell, and to what extent? Cheers

Hi all, I'm wondering if anyone prefers to use anything other than the standard stiff tether that comes with the Rope Wrench with SRT? I tried replacing the stiff tether with a short thin webbing sling to have a loose tether instead for more flexibility and a shorter reach, but not sure what to make of the floppy-ness. I really like it being shorter and close to the hitch though! The thing that puts me off of the stiff tether is that I feel it is very cumbersome in denser trees and just gets up getting in the way or getting caught on thin branches. Interested to hear what others do, and any suggestions

I should've mentions it was at the base. The tree is health with good vitality. Not likely to be Inon H

Hi all, Found this fungi on a mature Ash, I have a few suspects in mind but wouldn't mind a few opinions. I'm usually quite good with ID, but not so experienced with young brackets. Here are some pics:

Thanks, though 25% was just a massive guesstimate. I've never discussed weekend work with anyone before, so just need to be guided in he right direction

Hi all, A quickfire question here: Just wondering as a subby how much extra as a percentage I should be asking on top of my usual day rate to work weekends on tree inspection jobs? My initial thought is day rate + 25% but would like to see what others do! Many thanks

Cheers for the reply! Would you tie a bowline on a bight, instead of hauling the whole of the working end up to tie the knot?

What method do you guys use to switch to a canopy tie when in the trees? I can see it being a massive faff when trying to set it up. I'd like to get used to the last method in the Climbing Arborist - Canopy Ties video on Youtube, using a DIY cambium saver of sorts, to be able to ascend the anchor as well.

But as I'm self employed, how do I go about this? Every website tells me I cannot get the enhanced check as an individual, an organization has to get one for me.. I have no organization to do this! Quoted from a DBS check website: Standard and Enhanced DBS (CRB) Checks are only available for organisations to apply for on behalf of their employees/contractors. This is stipulated by the DBS (Disclosure & Barring Service) head office. Therefore under no circumstances can any DBS (CRB) checking company organise Standard or Enhanced DBS checks for individuals.

Hi all, I'm getting a lot of tree inspection work at schools across the UK, and I'm looking to get an enhanced DBS check. I was wondering if anyone knows the process of doing this when self-employed, as many websites I have been on require an organization to apply for you. I am being advised to get the enhanced one instead of the basic one. Can anyone advise on this? Many thanks

My thoughts exactly! When I get the odd private job, we often get it done with good time and I always pay them full days regardless. Then every one is a winner and you're all happy.

I can see where you are coming from, but I'm not expecting full days pay for half a day work when the job only has half a day money on it.... I get that. It's when the employer get his job done beautifully (with a full days money on it) with a few hours to spare and then squeezes another job to make even more profit, and you get nothing to show for your efforts. Not even £5 for a pint as a good gesture. Cheers Simon, just the reply i was looking for. Though for me the late days far outweigh the early days ?

Thanks for the reply Chris. That's an ideal way to do it I think, and yes in many ways you can't win. I tend not to rush jobs because of the inherent risk of an accident anyway, but I have been doing what you mentioned... just padding out the day to get the job done in the time stipulated. I only do tree condition/risk assessments.

Hi all, I just wanted to post a thread to get others' opinions on this topic, as I'm sure there's variation out there. I've been a sub contracting climber for 8 years now (and consultant for a short while) here in the UK and have never come to a conclusion. As a self employed climber or groundsman charging 'X' amount as a day rate, you'd obviously get X for the standard 8/9 hours worked that day. But what if you work 4/5 hours... would you still expect your day rate? For instance, if you worked hard and got the job done in good time. (I know this depends on circumstance, such as if my employers job got cancelled last minute, I would not expect X amount if a replacement job couldn't be found) My current main employer normally lays another job on us if we get the main job done in good time, squeezing the most out of us. (This aggravates the sh*t out of me) But also, if you're a self employed consultant working for larger companies, say you book the day off to do a survey they asked you to do and it takes you 2 hours to do the inspection and 1 hour to type it up. Do you charge 3 hours and lose the rest of the day... or charge the whole day because you booked it out for that survey? This happens to me quite a lot. All constructive comments welcome and look forward to reading what other subbies and employers do. Cheers!