Since 2000, an average of 70,685 annual wildfires have devastated 7.1 million acres every 365 days. And the number of wildfires is on the rise in the United States, according to the Congressional Research Service. Everything from lightning to human error can cause these blazes, too.
We can’t prevent every wildfire that breaks out, but we can do our part to ensure that as few happen as possible. It doesn’t hurt to take precautions to remove as much natural kindling for these blazes, either.
One such method is called brush clearing. What is it, and why should you make it part of your outdoor maintenance routine? Read on to find out.
What Is Brush Clearing?
Think about your garden. You prune and cultivate flowers and shrubs, but you pluck away unwanted vegetation, weeds in particular.
Well, you can consider brush to be the weeds of larger outdoor stretches. You have your large trees, which you want to keep healthy and fruitful. But you don’t quite need their fallen limbs or any vines, dead foliage, stumps, or woody vegetation growing below.
The brush can include unwanted living plants that live on the ground, too. It could be that you’re dealing with an invasive species, such as kudzu or English ivy, that’ll choke out the ecosystem and its diversity. Or, you might have a dangerous plant growing nearby—think poison ivy.
Now, if this is what defines brush, then you can probably guess now what brush clearing is. It’s the act of removing all unwanted plants from a natural area to keep things clear, visually pleasing and, most of all, safe.
Why Is Brush Clearing Important?
Like we said, the reasons for clearing brush range from personal safety to outdoor aesthetics. Here are the main reasons why people take time to do this chore—or hire a brush clearing service to helm the job.
1. Brush Clearing Keeps Wild Animals at Bay
Firstly, you might clear the brush in your backyard to remove a habitat for unwanted wildlife. Of course, you don’t want to remove your trees altogether—deforestation is bad for the environment and the natural ecosystems in your area. But removing the brush from your nearby surroundings won’t give unwanted pests a place to hide.
Depending on where you live, different types of predators can hide in the brush. Snakes, for one, often reside here. Rodents also live and linger in the brush—and you know you don’t want those pests moving closer toward your home.
2. It Stalls Wildfires in Their Tracks
We’ve mentioned the fact that wildfires are incredibly damaging to the American landscape. If you clear brush in your backyard, though, you’re doing your part to stall these blazes if they do burn in your area.
Small plants and dry, dead foliage are quicker to burn than the large, beautiful trees that hang overhead. If you remove them now, you’ll have less fuel for a wildfire that could pass through your backyard.
And that short stall in the blaze can help people escape, giving first responders time to arrive—clearing away the brush could be the difference between life and death in some cases.
3. Clearing Brush Can Add Square Footage to Your Backyard
If the safety features of a brush-free backyard aren’t enough to get you looking for brush clearing near me, then consider this. If you remove unwanted foliage and fallen tree pieces, you’ll have more space in your yard, too.
It’s nice to have things cleaned up for the extra room, but you will appreciate the lack of visual clutter, too. Your backyard will look more open and manicured—it’ll be much easier to keep it that way, too.
4. It Could Add Value to Your Home, Too
On that note, it’s important to keep your yard looking fresh, especially if you plan to sell your property in the future. Outdoor landscaping is a tried-and-true way to increase value.
Looks have a lot to do with someone purchasing a house. A messy yard might distract a buyer from the good bones that your property has to offer. Or, it might make them think that your yard is hard to maintain—and they won’t want to do the legwork.
Should I Clear the Brush Myself?
The answer to this question depends on the type of brush with which you’re dealing. You may be able to clear away limbs yourself. Or you may have brush clearing equipment at the ready, such as a weedwhacker.
Of course, some of this can be a bit overwhelming, at least for someone without much hands-on landscaping experience. Not all brush-clearing tasks are simple enough or safe for you to do on your own.
For instance, if a limb or stump requires a chainsaw to chop it down and remove it, you might want to call in an expert.
The same goes for if your yard has an overwhelming amount of brush that you can’t cut with a lawnmower. Some brush grows on a slope, as well—and not many of your typical tools will handle that well, either. There’s no shame in bringing in pros to handle the job if you can’t tackle it on your own.
Bring in a Brush Clearing Service
On that note, you might have realized that brush clearing is a necessity in your yard. It’s just not something you can or want to do.
If that’s the case, then consider Big Moe Land Services for the job. We can remove brush with ease and over large swathes of land—even properties set at an incline. Our advanced tractor technology allows us to perform these and other specialized mowing services.
Contact us today to learn more. Then, schedule us to come out and clean up your yard the right way, and enjoy a backyard free of brush.