Limbs lying on the roof
An oak planted near a ranch house a few decades ago can end up with long, nearly level limbs stretched across the shingles. A limb that touches the roof rubs every time the wind moves it, and one that hangs a few feet above the ridge holds whatever ice the next winter storm leaves on it. Typical work on a tree like that:
- Shortening, not stubbing. A long limb is cut back to a smaller side branch growing in a better direction, so the tree keeps leaves on that limb and seals the cut. A limb sawn off flat in mid-air leaves a stub, which often sprouts weak shoots or decays.
- Taking off the worst one or two. Sometimes a single limb that grew straight toward the house is better removed at the trunk, with a clean cut just outside the collar where it joins.
- Dead wood out. Dead limbs over a roof, a driveway or a play area come out first, since they're the ones that drop without warning.
- Not too much at once. Stripping most of the inside branches, often called lion-tailing, leaves heavy foliage at the ends of long limbs, which is the wrong shape for wind and ice.
The city tree rules read for this site are about removing trees, not pruning them. If you live in one of Hernando's historic districts or on acreage, ask the city before major work if you're unsure.
Why ice is the test here
Mississippi's State Hazard Mitigation Plan counts 44 winter storm events in DeSoto County from 1996 to 2022, more than any other county in its table (checked Nov 11, 2026). The most recent big one, Winter Storm Fern in January 2026, brought a federal disaster declaration that covers DeSoto County.
Entergy's guide to ice accumulation spells out what happens as glaze builds (checked Nov 11, 2026):
| Ice thickness | What Entergy says to expect |
|---|---|
| 1/8 inch | Small limbs and lines get coated; breaking limbs over power lines may cause outages |
| 1/4 inch | Young evergreens may lean onto distribution lines |
| 1/2 inch | Ice on power lines can add 500 pounds of extra weight |
| 1 inch or more | "substantial devastation of the overhead distribution system" |
A limb that's already long, heavy at the tip and hanging over the house is the one most likely to come down under that load. The Mississippi Insurance Department's weather-disaster page puts it this way: "Before hurricane season, trim or remove damaged trees and limbs to keep you and your property safe" (checked Nov 11, 2026).
Trees that need watching
University of Florida (UF/IFAS) studies of trees after hurricanes rank species for wind resistance in the Southeastern Coastal Plain. The ratings come from hurricane observations, not from DeSoto County, and the authors stress that no tree is wind-proof; soil, care, health and age all matter (checked Nov 11, 2026):
- Water oak, southern red oak and pecan are in the lowest group, along with Bradford pear and tulip poplar. MSU Extension lists water oak among the hosts of hypoxylon canker, and pecan drips aphid honeydew that turns into sooty mold on cars, walks and houses beneath it.
- Willow oak and white oak rate medium-low, together with red maple and hackberry.
- Bradford pear is singled out by MSU Extension for "weak wood susceptible to cracks, branch breakage, and stem splitting during storms." Trimming a mature one can buy time, but its tight, upright branch forks are the weak point.
- Southern magnolia sits in the highest group.
Trimming won't cure disease. MSU says there's no treatment for hypoxylon canker and that a tree with bacterial leaf scorch "can never be cured." Taking out dead limbs on those trees is still worth doing for safety; the dead or leaning trees guide covers when they should come down.
What Entergy trims, and what it leaves to you
Entergy, which serves most of Southaven, Horn Lake, Hernando and Walls, trims near its lines on what it calls a "routine cycle" and says it uses directional pruning. Before crews arrive it tries to notify customers with an automated call about two weeks ahead, a door hanger one or two days ahead, and a knock on the day of the work (all checked Nov 11, 2026).
- To report a tree in the lines, call 800-ENTERGY (800-368-3749). Entergy says each concern gets a ticket with "a 10-working-day commitment" to inspect it.
- The service wire is yours. "We DO NOT trim service lines," Entergy says. The line from the house to the first pole is the property owner's responsibility, and Entergy can temporarily disconnect it so your contractor can clear the limbs.
- The brush may stay. Entergy doesn't pick up debris from storm damage or from trims a customer asked for, and when it cuts down a tree it has identified as a risk, "Debris is not cleaned up."
Homes in parts of eastern DeSoto County, including parts of Olive Branch, get power from Northcentral Electric Cooperative instead. Its tree and right-of-way practices weren't confirmed for this site, so call the co-op at (662) 895-2151 before anyone works near its lines.
Mississippi's 10-foot rule
Under Miss. Code § 45-15-3, nobody may do work, or have others do work, where a person, tools, equipment or materials could reasonably be expected to come within 10 feet of a high-voltage overhead line, unless the safety steps in the following sections have been followed. Section 45-15-9 says the person responsible must notify the utility in writing and wait for "mutually satisfactory arrangements" before starting (both checked Nov 11, 2026). For a homeowner, the practical point is simple: if a limb you want cut is anywhere near a line on the poles, the job starts with the power company.
Where the cut limbs go
Trimming one big oak can fill a pickup bed several times over. Southaven, Olive Branch, Horn Lake and Hernando all decline to collect limbs cut by a tree service (checked Nov 11, 2026), so hauling or chipping should be written into the price. Limbs you trim yourself can go to the curb if they meet your city's size limits:
| City | Longest piece | Thickest limb | Other limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southaven | 4 to 5 feet | 12 inches | At least 5 feet from carts and other obstructions |
| Horn Lake | 5 feet | 10 inches | Up to 6 cubic yards per home a week; leaves bagged |
| Hernando | 4 feet | 6 inches | Pile up to 5 by 5 by 10 feet, cut ends facing the curb |
| Olive Branch | 5 to 6 feet | Not stated | Not under low wires or branches, or within 5 feet of a structure |
All figures from each city's published guidelines, checked Nov 11, 2026.
Published trimming prices
No trimming prices from DeSoto County contractors were found, so these are national figures, checked Nov 11, 2026:
| Source | What it says |
|---|---|
| HomeGuide | $400 to $900 per tree on average; national average $650. Up to 30 feet $250–$700; 30 to 60 feet $600–$1,200; over 60 feet $1,000–$2,500 or more. Oak $450–$1,500; pine $250–$1,600. |
| Thumbtack | National average $270 to $450, with jobs anywhere from $75 to $1,000; an example hourly rate of $150 |
| HomeGuide (removal guide) | $50 to $125 an hour for trimming when there's no safe place for the tree to fall |
HomeGuide adds that "Emergency trimming after storms almost always costs more than planned maintenance." A tall pecan or oak over a house sits at the upper end of these ranges. More figures are on the tree work cost page.
Trimming questions
Will Entergy cut back the limbs touching the wire to my house?
No. Entergy says it doesn't trim service lines and that the line from the house to the pole is the owner's responsibility. It can disconnect the line for a while so your contractor can clear it (checked Nov 11, 2026).
Can trimming save an oak with bark peeling off in strips?
Probably not. Bark sloughing off in patches or long strips is how MSU Extension describes hypoxylon canker, and MSU says there is no treatment for it; its advice for severely infected trees is to cut them down. See the dead or leaning trees guide.
Who picks up the branches after the crew leaves?
The crew, if the written price says so. None of the four cities collects limbs cut by a tree service (checked Nov 11, 2026).
Is it better to trim the pecan or take it down?
It depends on the tree's condition and where it stands. The pecan guide walks through size, storms and pests.
Trimming requests from this site are handed to one independent contractor around DeSoto County. The site trims nothing itself.
Sources
- MEMA, 2023 State Hazard Mitigation Plan, Section 3.9; FEMA, DR-4899 designations. Checked Nov 11, 2026.
- Entergy, ice accumulation guide (Jan 29, 2026), tree trimming and how Entergy trims; TVA, Northcentral Electric Cooperative. Checked Nov 11, 2026.
- Mississippi Insurance Department, Weather Disaster. Checked Nov 11, 2026.
- UF/IFAS, Wind and Trees: Lessons Learned from Hurricanes (FR173); MSU Extension, Non-native and Native Yard Trees in Mississippi, Pecans in the Home Landscape, Hypoxylon Dieback of Oaks, Caterpillar, fungus affects drought-stressed trees and Bacterial Leaf Scorch. Checked Nov 11, 2026.
- Miss. Code § 45-15-3 and § 45-15-9. Checked Nov 11, 2026.
- Southaven Sanitation Guidelines; Horn Lake Collection Guidelines; Hernando Brush Services; Olive Branch Roadside Rubbish Guidelines. Checked Nov 11, 2026.
- HomeGuide tree trimming cost and tree removal cost; Thumbtack. Checked Nov 11, 2026.