Beaver Control: How To Get Rid of Beavers

This page is a general Beaver control guide. Using the products and methods suggested you will get control of Beavers. Follow this guide and use the recommended products and we guarantee 100% control of Beavers. Consult your local and state guidelines to see if the Beaver is a protected species in your location before applying control.

It might seem unlikely, but Beavers can become a problem for homeowners and businesses. Weighing as much as 65 pounds and 24 to 36 inches in size, they are the largest rodent found in the United States.

In recent years, beaver populations have increased due to beavers being less targeted for their beaver fur, which used to be a big trend. Beavers are found in water-based environments, and close to woods. But it’s becoming more frequent that they venture in backyards, or to commercial areas.

Beavers are highly beneficial to the environment, but they can cause serious structural damage to properties and homes when they cut down trees, build dams, and transform their environment to suit their needs. This adaptation will often times cause floods on roads, yards, and crops. The trees they cut down can also block traffic or fall on properties and cause extensive structural damage that can be extremely expensive to repair.

If you have a destructive beaver on your property, you need to act quickly to remove it. The following treatment guide below has all that you need to carry out an effective beaver control program. 

Identification

Before you can carry out a treatment program, you first need to identify the intruding rodent and be certain it is a Beaver. Misidentification can lead to using the wrong treatment products, which will be a waste of your time and money. The good thing is that Beavers are easy to identify, below you can find some of their defining characteristics.

• Beavers weigh about between 35 to 60 pounds.
• They range in size from 25 to 31 inches in size.
• They have large heads, ears, and eyes.
• They have webbed hind feet, waterproof fur, and unique paddle-shaped tail.
• They have a large pair of front teeth.
• They can vary in color from blonde to tan to jet black.

Use the image and description above to confirm that you are dealing with a Beaver on your property. If you are not totally sure, contact us and we will try to assist you with proper identification.

Inspection

Once you have confirmed that your pest animal is a Beaver, it is helpful to recognize the areas in the garage where it is most active. Perform an inspection to pinpoint where the Beaver is frequenting as this is where you will want to place your trap.

Where To Inspect

Indoor infestations of Beavers are extremely rare, so focus your search on the outdoors. Search around your lawn and property in trees, and inspect close to freshwater sources, such as rivers, lakes, and ponds.

What To Look For

You’re looking for Beavers, Beaver damage, and Beaver dams. Search near your property for beaver damage that will include their dens, areas where floods occur and chewed or cut down trees. Also, look near freshwater sources for their dams. Monitor their activity until you discover their pathways, once you find their pathways this is where you will apply treatment.

Treatment

Once you have confirmed Beaver activity it is time to begin treatment. Remember to read all product labels and stay safe by wearing personal protective equipment (PPE).

To control Beavers you can use a variety of methods for effective control. We suggest using a Solutions Humane Live Trap and Nature’s Defense: All-Purpose Animal Repellent. The Solutions Humane Live Trap will allow you to trap Beavers. Nature’s Defense will allow you to spread it around your property and close to trees to prevent Beaver damage.

Step 1 - Set up a Solutions Humane Live Trap

The Solutions Humane Live trap is a non-lethal trap that easy to use and place. To use simply release the trigger mechanism open up the door and set the trap. Once the trap is set you’ll want to place bait inside. For beavers, we recommend using Beaver Castor, poplar branches and tree limbs, twigs, and branches drenched in poplar oil or apples. A combination of all these baits will bring about greater success.

To place the trap monitor your property for beaver activity and locate the “hot spots” where Beavers are most active, or their general pathways. Set it at night when they are most active, and deactivate it during the day to avoid catching other wildlife.  Once caught, turn the Beaver in to animal control or drive into the wild and release the animal.

Step 2 - Apply Nature’s Defense

Nature’s Defense is an organic, all-natural repellent that works for a variety of animals. Each 22-ounce bottle should cover 3500 square feet. You can choose to shake it out of the container, but for a more precise application, use a broadcast spreader.

Apply it around the perimeter of your yard and where Beaver activity is most prevalent. Make sure to apply 2 times per week for 2 weeks. Place it around trees and where Beavers frequent.

Prevention

After trapping or warding off the Beavers, you want to make sure they do not reinvade. Take the following preventative measures to keep them off your property long-term.

• Start by using metal mesh wire to wrap around your trees. This will prevent Beaver from cutting into the trees and cutting them down. Use metal wire mesh that is at least 3 feet high and wrap around the trees you want to protect.
• Also, clean up constructions materials and food regularly from your property, this means cleaning up your yard debris, such as down tree limbs, excess wood, leaf litter and branches (all of these which are food and construction materials) especially if you live close to an area that has aspen, alder, birch, cottonwood, and willow trees.
• Apply Nature’s Defense regularly on your property for continuous Beaver and general animal control.

Key Takeaways

What are Beavers?

• Beavers are large sized destructive rodents that commonly live in the woods or water-based environments but may venture onto residential or commercial areas where they may damage trees and cause property damage.

How To Get Rid of Beavers

• To remove Beavers from your property, we suggest baiting and trapping them in a Solutions Humane Live Trap or repelling them from the area with Nature's Defense All Natural Repellent.

Preventing Beaver Reinvasion

• Remember to pick up yard debris, leaf litter, wood piles, branches, twigs, and other food and construction materials that Beavers might use.
• Build wire mesh fencing to keep Beavers away or create a repellent barrier with Nature's Defense applications on a routine basis for long-term prevention.