Q: The "helicopters" that fall from my maple tree are driving me crazy. They fall everywhere and start growing in all of our landscaping.

I was just wondering if there is anyway to stop the tree from producing these "helicopters"?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks, Cliff.

A: Sorry, but there is no effective way to stop your maple from producing the helicopters, other than by cutting it down.

However, you can reduce the overall number of helicopters by thinning the tree out.

This way, by selectively removing live branches, you're reducing the number of twigs that produce the flowers, from which come the fruits (helicopters on maple trees, acorns of oak trees, and apples on, well, apple trees).

If it is a large maple, you should seek the help of a competent arborist, particularly if the tree is large enough that it needs to be climbed to be pruned.

You don't want to take chances with your own health -- better to leave large trees to the professionals.