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, 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 into backyards or commercial areas.

Beavers are highly beneficial to the environment but 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 oftentimes 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 must act quickly to remove it. The treatment guide below has everything you need to carry out an effective beaver control program. 

Identification

Before carrying out a treatment program, you must 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 are some of their defining characteristics.

• Beavers weigh between 35 and 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 a 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 unsure, contact us, and we will help you identify the problem.

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 nearby 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, including 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 wear personal protective equipment (PPE).

You can use a variety of methods to control beavers effectively. We suggest using the 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 is easy to use and place. To use it, simply release the trigger mechanism, open the door, and set the trap. Once the trap is set, you’ll want to place bait inside. We recommend Beaver Castor, poplar branches and tree limbs, twigs and branches drenched in poplar oil, or apples for beavers. 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 the trap at night when they are most active and deactivate it during the day to avoid catching other wildlife. Once caught, turn the beaver into animal control, drive it 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 various animals. Each 22-ounce bottle should cover 3500 square feet. You can shake it out of the container, but use a broadcast spreader for a more precise application.

Apply it around the perimeter of your yard and where beaver activity is most prevalent. Make sure to apply it twice weekly for two weeks. Place it around trees and where Beavers frequent.

Prevention

After trapping or warding off the beavers, you want to ensure they do not reinvade. To keep them off your property long-term, take the following preventative measures.

• Start by using metal mesh wire to wrap around your trees. This will prevent beavers from cutting into the trees and cutting them down. Use metal wire mesh at least 3 feet high and wrap around the trees you want to protect.
• Also, regularly clean up construction materials and food from your property. This means cleaning up your yard debris, such as down tree limbs, excess wood, leaf litter, and branches (all of 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

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

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.