Pine needles!!!
Discussion
Hi All,
Wondering what the best approach is to the problem I'm having at the moment.
I recently moved into a house that is surrounded by large pine trees. Before anyone asks, I can't do much about this as they have TPOs on them. Garage and covers not viable options and entire driveway is affected unfortunately so no alternative parking available.
The problem I have is that the trees shed a lot of dry pine needles make an absolute mess of the car.
The stuff on the car, I don't mind too much as I can use a leaf blower to get it off.
What I struggle with is the needles that make their way under the bonnet (just below the wipers) and into the runs surrounding the boot area that need a lot of manual picking to get out.
I'd cover the car but it seems that uncovering every single time I need to use it is going to get old very quickly.
Is the best solution perhaps a half cover that I can quickly take off in the morning and just dump by the front door? Any recommendations? Looking for the easiest possible way to deal with this.
Thanks in advance.
Wondering what the best approach is to the problem I'm having at the moment.
I recently moved into a house that is surrounded by large pine trees. Before anyone asks, I can't do much about this as they have TPOs on them. Garage and covers not viable options and entire driveway is affected unfortunately so no alternative parking available.
The problem I have is that the trees shed a lot of dry pine needles make an absolute mess of the car.
The stuff on the car, I don't mind too much as I can use a leaf blower to get it off.
What I struggle with is the needles that make their way under the bonnet (just below the wipers) and into the runs surrounding the boot area that need a lot of manual picking to get out.
I'd cover the car but it seems that uncovering every single time I need to use it is going to get old very quickly.
Is the best solution perhaps a half cover that I can quickly take off in the morning and just dump by the front door? Any recommendations? Looking for the easiest possible way to deal with this.
Thanks in advance.
Portofino said:
Wait for the resin to drop all over your cars, late spring I think, that’s always fun.
The car’s going to look like a porcupine when the needles land in the fresh resin!In all seriousness I feel the OPs pain, neighbour has a huge holly bush and getting impaled on spikes is a daily annoyance, especially if you step on one with bare feet.
I feel your pain!!!!
My house is just the other side of those nice tall TPO'd fir trees. Hopefully you don't have them on your land to look after like I do, nice couple of grand to spend out every so often to get planning permission to trim them and then the arborist to trim and top them.
You will......
Eat through wiper blades - No matter how hard you try they will get stuck between the blade and screen, I'm in the habit now of running my hand under the blade to clear them every time I go out.
They will get stuck in every small gap in your bodywork.
They will fill the space under the bonnet and build up, so every wash open up and clean them out.
Your car interior will always have them in no matter how hard you try.
Plus for added fun, the sap in the summer is a delight for the paint work and really hard to shift.
And don't get me started on what they do to your house!!
I keep my Jag in the garage, but with the other cars I have just given up trying to stop them. THEY GET ******* EVERYWHERE!!!!
It is a battle you will lose! No matter what you try and do those little needles will still get in and over your car.
And before you say why did you buy the house? I didn't really think they would be that much of a problem as the cars are not directly under them, but like an idiot I didn't think about breeze.
Just took these, still stuck there after an hour driving.
My house is just the other side of those nice tall TPO'd fir trees. Hopefully you don't have them on your land to look after like I do, nice couple of grand to spend out every so often to get planning permission to trim them and then the arborist to trim and top them.
You will......
Eat through wiper blades - No matter how hard you try they will get stuck between the blade and screen, I'm in the habit now of running my hand under the blade to clear them every time I go out.
They will get stuck in every small gap in your bodywork.
They will fill the space under the bonnet and build up, so every wash open up and clean them out.
Your car interior will always have them in no matter how hard you try.
Plus for added fun, the sap in the summer is a delight for the paint work and really hard to shift.
And don't get me started on what they do to your house!!
I keep my Jag in the garage, but with the other cars I have just given up trying to stop them. THEY GET ******* EVERYWHERE!!!!
It is a battle you will lose! No matter what you try and do those little needles will still get in and over your car.
And before you say why did you buy the house? I didn't really think they would be that much of a problem as the cars are not directly under them, but like an idiot I didn't think about breeze.
Just took these, still stuck there after an hour driving.
Edited by stumpage on Tuesday 2nd September 12:07
Edited by stumpage on Tuesday 2nd September 12:08
Lol, I went to a car show up in Derby on Sunday. Got an airbnb the night before with off road parking.
When I arrived it turned out the space was under a yew and a couple of firs.
My daughter and I spent an hour removing 'all' the needles once we got to the show.
I'd think we were done, then turn around and there would be another one on the bonnet.
There are still some that ran down the roof gutters and are now stuck in the drainage holes between the windscreen and the chrome.
I literally wouldn't move into a house with parking under the fallout area of a tree these days.
The western cedars just down the road from us are bad enough, dont seem to get my car but they fill up the scuttle drains on my wife's car every few weeks.
When I arrived it turned out the space was under a yew and a couple of firs.
My daughter and I spent an hour removing 'all' the needles once we got to the show.
I'd think we were done, then turn around and there would be another one on the bonnet.
There are still some that ran down the roof gutters and are now stuck in the drainage holes between the windscreen and the chrome.
I literally wouldn't move into a house with parking under the fallout area of a tree these days.
The western cedars just down the road from us are bad enough, dont seem to get my car but they fill up the scuttle drains on my wife's car every few weeks.
Thanks all
I agree, when I first looked at the house there was very little on the ground (unless it had been cleaned recently).
The recent rain has been bringing a ton down.
While I don't have as nice a car as the Jag in the pictures before, I am mechanically sympathetic (even if I don't particularly love my car).
Hopefully it's a seasonal thing and will improve over time (before getting worse again!)
I'm tempted to ask the council to remove it at my expense as it's lifted the driveway in places. Not sure if this is going to be serious enough to warrant a removal though or if it has to be risk to the house itself.
We shall see!
I agree, when I first looked at the house there was very little on the ground (unless it had been cleaned recently).
The recent rain has been bringing a ton down.
While I don't have as nice a car as the Jag in the pictures before, I am mechanically sympathetic (even if I don't particularly love my car).
Hopefully it's a seasonal thing and will improve over time (before getting worse again!)
I'm tempted to ask the council to remove it at my expense as it's lifted the driveway in places. Not sure if this is going to be serious enough to warrant a removal though or if it has to be risk to the house itself.
We shall see!
Totally feel your pain. We have 2 at the top of our house on the drive, you can park a car there but i dont but my wife who doesnt like walking, always dumps her car there (even though she has a garage) and yes the needles get everywhere!
Even if its only a few hours before i move it into the garage i get the air line on it straight away to try and remove most of them but as others have said, you are not going to win.
These 2 trees have a TPO on them but with the help of our neighbours, who also hate the needles all over their lawn & blocking of light, we have put in a request to have them removed and replanted as something nicer.
They are very scabby, so hopeful we can get them down and replaced.
We are aiming to replace with 2-4 silver birch, as these will allow more light through.
Even if its only a few hours before i move it into the garage i get the air line on it straight away to try and remove most of them but as others have said, you are not going to win.
These 2 trees have a TPO on them but with the help of our neighbours, who also hate the needles all over their lawn & blocking of light, we have put in a request to have them removed and replanted as something nicer.
They are very scabby, so hopeful we can get them down and replaced.
We are aiming to replace with 2-4 silver birch, as these will allow more light through.
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