Once a lot of fun, Maple-seed ‘helicopters’ clog your gutters

Peaking over the edge of this gutter are 'helicopter' Maple seeds that have clogged the gutter. Once they were fun, now they're more of a nuisance. 

Oh, when we were young we loved them. We’d pick them up from the ground and toss them in the air then step back and watch them spiral to the ground. Of course, there was a technique. If you threw them wrong, they tended to drop like rocks. They needed to reach their apex flat and horizontal to the ground. If you threw them up just right, they would spiral slowly to the ground.

We called them ‘helicopters’ but they’re actually seeds from Maple trees. As adults, we don’t always find them as enjoyable as we once did. The density in which they fall varies from year to year. Some years, such as this, they come down heavy.

Whether they come down heavy, or not so heavy, they’re a nuisance. They cover the grass so that, when you cut the lawn, they leave trails in the grass behind. You’ll also find them all over the pavement. You’ll see neighbors out sweeping them off the sidewalks and walkways. But, worse of all is what they do to the gutters.

Filled to the brim, the gutters ravenously collect those twirling ‘helicopters.’ Then, when the rains come, the ‘helicopters’ wash into the downspouts and clog. Suddenly, the water has nowhere to go. It backs up and pours over the leading edge.

If left that way, not only will the gutters fail to function, but the ‘helicopters’ will begin to decompose into a thick and sticky mass.

The solution is to get up there and clean the ‘helicopters’ out of the gutters. Then, it’s advisable to push a hose into the downspout and flush the helicopters out.

Yes, it’s a hassle. But, the hassle it will create over time is much worse. And the good news is that, if you clean them now, there’s little to worry about until the leaves fall in the autumn.

Probably the best way to deal with the hassle of ‘helicopters’ falling into your gutters is to let a professional do the job. This way, you avoid the messy job of cleaning them out of the gutters and, better yet, the hazard of climbing a ladder to do the job. That’s also why it’s important to hire a company that is insured to do the job. You don’t want the hassle of the medical bills if a worker alls from the ladder, too.

So, let someone else clean the ‘helicopters’ out of your gutters. And, just to reminisce, toss a ‘helicopter’ or two into the air to see if you still have the technique.