Beavers come from the family of Castoridae, located throughout multiple regions of North America as well as Canada. Learning how to keep beavers away, especially if you’re a pond owner or landowner can serve beneficial for avoiding larger problems that may arise in the future.
The most appropriate method to keep beavers away is through the use of humane alternatives. Harmful or lethal methods used to keep beavers away should be used with careful consideration in conjunction to doing any required individual research around your state laws and rights.
- Traps.
- Beaver Chemical Repellents.
- Install Fencing.
- Flow Device.
- Shooting Beavers.
Throughout this article you will learn how to keep beavers away as well as what beavers are scared of, are beavers dangerous to dogs and other fun facts to have handy in your mind. Continue reading to learn more!
How to Keep Beavers Away?
1: Traps
If you’re dealing with issues due to beaver dams in your pond or lake, the best method for removing beavers is through the use of traps.
Trapping beavers especially if you’re a beginner may not appear easy, however, thankfully there are a handful of informative videos and articles around the web that can easily teach you how to use a trap in order to capture a beaver.
There are a variety of beaver traps you can choose from such as a leg hold or body traps, however, those are both lethal methods. My preferred choice is using a live capture cage trap.
Although using a cage may sometimes be referred to as “hard to use for the capture of beavers”, especially compared to lethal alternatives, they ensure you’re using a humane method of capture as well as not breaking the law when doing so (depending on what state you live in).
To give you the best possible chance when capturing a beaver by using a live capture cage trap, use lures that are made from whatever part of America you’re located in.
For example; if you’re located in the northern part of America, you should gravitate to using castor oil based lures and if you’re located in the southern part of America, use can try castor oil based lures as well as food lures.
My favorite online vendor to purchase traps from are on Amazon. There’s usually a range of variety for a reduced price. Click here to search through the different beaver traps that may interest you.
2: Beaver Chemical Repellents
What is a beaver chemical repellent you may ask? The answer is in the name! It’s a chemical based repellent that can assist in the prevention of beavers from coming back to whatever area you spray around.
Depending on where you live, can depend on what repellents may be available to you. Some repellents come under other rodent names but can still work just as effectively.
Remember, when using chemical repellents you should spray at least every three days to prolong efficiency as well as immediately after rainfall.
3: Install Fencing
Fencing works well for the prevention of beavers as well as other rodents that may be roaming your property in the night.
Ensure to purchase the correct fencing when repelling beavers, as cheap wires used for fences will easily break open against their strong teeth and claws. The best fence to buy is one made from metal, and although this will cost more, it’ll ensure durability!
4: Flow Device
If a beaver creates a beaver dam in your pond, this will cause immense damage and risk not only for your pond but the surrounding the area too.
Beaver dams are created by tree branches, twigs and anything else they can get their claws on. They create these dams using such materials to serve as a barrier from outside predators. By the creation of these dams, poses a risk of your area fooding!
By installing a flow device underneath your pond such as a pond level pipe or similar, the fence and structure around the pipe will act as a barrier to prevent beavers from accessing the inside of the pipe, blocking it with materials which will cause flooding.
A pond level pipe isn’t a device you can simply pick up from your local hardware store, nor is it an easy “one man job”. It is best to keep in mind that you’ll need to invest a fair bit of money in order to install this device. However, once it has been installed, you’ll be able to live peacefully with beavers and not worry about your pond from flooding (who doesn’t want that?!).
5: Shooting Beavers
Although not my first, second or third choice when attempting to keep beavers away, you can opt to shoot a beaver.
Beavers are also nocturnal animals and will spend the majority of their time underwater, therefore you’ll need to be patient and skilled when attempting to shoot the one that’s been causing you havoc.
Dedicate a few sleepless nights in order to familiarize yourself and learn the beavers habits, places of interest as well as finding out where they go and what they do in the night. By investing this time, it’ll help you save time when you actually go out for the kill.
Prior to doing this, you will need to ensure it is legal for you to do so considering your states rules and regulations. Always do further research before hand.
6: Other Alternatives
Chasing after beavers or destroying beaver dams are other alternatives some people have reported trying.
Although, there were no long-term effects to either of these methods (clearly), people noted that it did work for approximately a week or so.
The people who tried these methods mentioned it was a “good alternative to try in states where it is illegal to kill or capture beavers”.
You should always take caution when approaching or provoking wild animals, as bites from beavers can cause significant damage to humans due to the diseases they potentially carry.
7: Hiring!
Sometimes the last resort for some, whereas the first resort for others is hiring a professional wildlife removal company to rid beavers for you. You may want to consider if this would be the best option for you.
Aside from the cost and depending on what area of America you live in, you can hire someone to remove and relocate any beavers that are causing you grief which means no work for you!
I advise to consider this option prior to the decision of using kill methods.
Beavers truly can be annoying at times, especially when they’re damaging the structures of our properties or ponds. To optimize your chances of repelling beavers and keeping them away for good, try using a variety of the methods listed above and alternating between them.
It will take time, patience, perseverance and sometimes money (I’m just being honest with you) in order to solve the beaver problem you’re dealing with, however, trust me when I say that if you keep trying and don’t give up after a few attempts, you will reap the benefits and keep beavers away once and for all!
Side note: As previously mentioned throughout this article, you should always do your own individual research around the rules, regulations and laws in your state or county when killing, trapping or relocating beavers. Breaching these rules will result in hefty fines as well as jail time. Please be cautious and considerate.
How to Keep Beavers Away From Trees?
Beavers are notorious for causing damage to trees. They use trees to either file down their chomps, to eat the bark or to provide materials when building beaver dams. The best thing to learn is how to keep beavers away from trees so you can start restoring your property from the damage beavers may have caused you.
In my opinion, the best way to keep beavers away from trees or other areas of your property is through the use of installing suitable fencing.
Head down to your local garden or hardware store and enquire about purchasing wire fencing, which you can use to loop around your trees. This helps protect your trees and stops beavers from aggressively chewing and destroying it.
Tip: In order to keep beavers from lifting up the fence and getting underneath, you can use stakes to prevent that from happening.
You may also want to consider using electric fencing which will definitely work sufficiently when repelling beavers. Purchase a suitable electric fence for the use of beavers from your local farm supply store (as electric fences are most commonly known for farmers to use to keep away similar rodents).
In addition to using fencing, another effective method for keeping beavers away from trees is by using repellent.
Purchase pre-made repellent or you can make your own homemade repellent to prevent them from coming towards your trees.
Simply spray the repellent around the trunks of your trees a few times throughout the week to ensure it stays effective. I do not recommend using lethal repellents, instead chemical repellents should be more than sufficient.
The odor and chemicals that are inside some of these repellents are enough to trigger beavers from coming anywhere near your trees, as they associate the smell with predators who they think may be nearby your property.
The repellent method is also effective to use around your garden or other areas where you may notice beaver problems.
Aside from trying fences and repellents, you may choose that trapping a beaver suits you better in order for them to stay away from your trees. Purchasing a live capture cage trap and setting it up before nightfall works well to keep beavers away.
To increase your chances through the use of a cage trap, place bait or lure inside to entice the beaver towards and inside the cage. The doors will shut lock and you’ll be able to relocate the beaver once sunrise.
Beavers are clever animals, so don’t feel discouraged if you try one of these methods and they don’t work immediately. As I’ve mentioned before in this article, with perseverance comes results. Keeping cracking at it and eventually you’ll no longer have problems with beavers damaging your trees.
What Are Beavers Scared of?
Beavers are territorial animals, and they’ll stick up for themselves if the times call for it. They can put up a fight even against animals where it may seem that they don’t stand a chance.
Predators to a beaver are animals such as coyotes, bobcats, owls, bears, eagles or wolves.
A lot of the times, if a beaver is ever approached by one of these predators on land.. they’ll put up a fight and hope for the best.
However, if there is water nearby and is approached by one of these animals, a beaver will automatically dive underneath in order to protect themselves from it. It’s fascinating to know that beavers can stay underwater for up to 15 minutes, which works fantastically in escaping their predators.
How Do You Scare Away Beavers?
To scare away a beaver means to do anything that will repel them from coming back to whatever area you’re having issues with.
I have mentioned in the beginning of this article different ways you can use to keep beavers away which actually works in conjunction with scaring them away.
My top two methods for scaring beavers away is:
1. By using repellent, beavers become cautious and nervous when approaching the area you’ve sprayed around. The reason being is because they’ll assume the repellent is animal scent left by a predator who has previously roamed pass. This works great in scaring beavers away and avoiding the area completely.
2. Electronic devices. You may want to purchase an electronic decoy animal to scare a beaver away. Animals or decoy predators such as an owl or coyote will work sufficiently in order to scare them away in the night!
If you want to learn about other alternatives for keeping beavers away (for good), read the beginning sections of my article where I describe in-depth options as well as things you should consider.
Alternately, keep reading to learn about different facts and information regarding beavers.
What Time of Day Are Beavers Most Active?
In general, a beaver is a nocturnal animal meaning they sleep during the day and remain awake at night time. In some areas of North America, beavers have been seen roaming throughout the day, however, they prefer to go about their business during sleep hours.
During the night time, beavers will go out sourcing food or are looking for materials in order for them to create suitable dams.
On the odd occasion, a beaver will go out to find a mate by which if they are ever found alone it’ll automatically make them an easy target for predators. This is a risk some beavers are willing to take.
The best time of the day to have beaver traps set up is either before night time or early in the morning!
Do Beavers Have Yellow Teeth?
Young North American beavers have white teeth, however, once they become an adult, the beaver will develop yellowish orange teeth.
The reason that beavers develop this type of color teeth is simply because they produce iron within their tooth enamel. The iron inside a beavers tooth enamel provides them a stronger resistance from decay and acid.
Are Beavers Endangered?
At one point, beavers became extinct. As of 2019, beavers are no longer considered endangered animals due to their population increasing.
Why Do Beavers Chew Trees?
Did you know, beavers teeth never stop growing. For this reason alone, beavers need to constantly sharpen their teeth by which they use trees to do this.
Aside from damaging trees for their teeth issues, a beaver will also chew trees in order to create what is commonly known as a “beaver dam”. Beaver dams are used for protecting themselves from predators, storing food and having babies.
Lastly, a beaver may also chew trees simply because they view the tree as a food source. Beavers enjoy eating bark and twigs that come from trees therefore, causing damage to homeowners trees and sometimes chewing the entire tree down.
If you are dealing with this problem, learn how to keep beavers away from your trees further up this article, where I share different methods you can use and how to prevent them from coming back.
How Fast Can Beavers Run?
A typical beaver isn’t exactly the fastest chap while cruising on land. They move slowly and gracefully which can actually cause problems for them when approached by predators due to their inability to run away!
Despite their inability to move fast while on land, beavers can move up to 5 – 6 miles per hour (8 – 9 kph) while in water!
Are Beavers Dangerous to Dogs?
Generally speaking, beavers are dangerous to dogs or any other household pets due to their defensive behaviour if provoked.
Beavers have sharp teeth that they’ll happily use on a dog if they feel threatened, scared or feel a need to protect themselves from it. Similar to other animals, this is an instinct for beavers and should not be taken lightly.
There have been cases reported where beavers have killed dogs in an attempt of self-defensive on their part. Although beavers are mainly timid animals, if a dog approaches beaver territory, you’ll more than likely find a beaver become defensive, aggressive and provoke a fight.
All in all, it’s only wise to keep dogs as well as any other household pets away from beavers as a precaution measure.
If any of your animals are bitten by a beaver, you should seek immediate medical attention for them as beavers are known for carrying diseases such as rabies and can end up having lethal consequences for your animals.
Are Beavers Bad for Ponds?
Are beavers bad for ponds you may ask? Well the answer is both yes and no.
If a beaver creates what is commonly known as a beaver dam inside your pond, this is where it can be bad for you and your pond. These beaver dams eventually lead to issues such as flooding which can be catastrophic to deal with.
On the other hand, however, a beavers dam contribute immensely towards the ecosystem meaning beavers are both good and bad for ponds (depending on how you look at it).
What Do Beavers Do for Humans?
Although beavers often get a bad rap for their behaviour and natural animal instincts, beavers do provide humans service through their contribution to the ecosystem. In fact, beavers are one of the most helpful animals to contribute towards the ecosystem.
One of the ways beavers play a part in keeping our ecosystem in check is through their dams they build (often referred to as beaver dams).
It’s either a love it or hate it when it comes to humans and beaver dams, however, these dams help to filtrate pollution out as well as slowing down water that flows into streams. As a result of this, wetlands are created which nearly most of North American animals rely on.
Another way beavers contribute towards the ecosystem is through their notorious tree cutting. Not everyone is a big fan of beavers chewing on trees, however, when a tree is cut down by a beaver it allows other trees that need light surrounding it to flourish and grow. You can see how beavers can play a part with the ecosystem.
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