- LAST UPDATED: July 24, 2024
Beavers can be a nuisance for homeowners that live near bodies of freshwater. A single beaver can cut down a medium-sized tree (or more) in a single night. Their dams change water flow patterns, creating flooding or drainage issues.
Beaver poison is typically not an effective or permitted option for getting rid of beavers. This is due to laws and regulations and the risk of poisoning water sources and other wildlife. Trapping with non-lethal bait is often the most effective in relocating beavers away from your property. Other tactics involve installing tree cages to protect trees and drainage pipes to prevent pooling water.
Read on to learn more about the implications of using beaver poison and alternatives for protecting your property.
Using Beaver Poison
In many places, it is illegal to use poison to kill beavers. If a permit or regulations allow a person to use beaver poison, it is still not easy to get the beaver to eat it.
Beavers spend a large part of their time in ponds, lakes, rivers, and other adjacent water sources building their dams to create a pool of water. This allows beavers to form an island or dome “lodge” to live and store food with underwater entrances. This construction offers protection to the beavers from predators such as wolves or bears.
If poisons are used in the water, it will harm the water sources and any other creatures accessing (or swimming in) it. If a beaver consumes the poison and dies in the water, it can be difficult to retrieve, and its carcass will contaminate the water.
If you use beaver poison on land (even if in a trap), it is very likely that other wildlife will get to it before the beavers do.
5 Alternatives To Using Beaver Poison
Since using beaver poisons can cause other issues with the law or create negative impacts on the environment or other wildlife, there are alternatives to consider using first.
Some people attempt to remove the dam if there are no beavers active inside. However, beavers are incredibly quick builders and can rebuild a dam overnight or in a spot close to where the previous one was. The natural persistence of beavers can lead to costly interventions, but it may be worth it to prevent more costly damage to your property. You may also need assistance (and permission) to implement the following tactics.
Please see our beaver repellent article for more information about these tactics and more.
Note: Take precautions to protect yourself from beaver-related diseases because they can carry tularemia, rabies, and parasites which are transmissible through direct contact, bodily fluids, and infected water.
1. Tree Cages
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- 【Wide Application】These plant and tree protectors can effectively protect your plants from trimmers and lawn mowers, and prevent rodents, rabbits, deer, squirrels, dogs, cats, mice and other small animals from gnawing and climbing, so that young saplings can grow healthily. At the same time, they can also be used as tree orthoses to help trees grow upwards and make your garden and lawn more beautiful.
- 【Expandable Height】Suitable for trees of all sizes, you can connect additional tree protectors as needed to make them higher. This trunk protection device is a good way to protect trees from deer.
Beavers typically cut down trees that are within 100 feet of the water close to their dam site. To protect these trees, create a tree cage.
What To Do
- Use wire galvanized welded fencing with 2-inch openings maximum and a minimum of 3 feet high.
- Create a trench a few inches deep to provide stability, but take care not to damage the tree’s roots. Conversely, you can use stakes to hold it in place.
- You may wish to use tall stakes that weave through the fencing holes instead of staking at the bottom.
- Encircle the trunk leaving 6 inches space away from the trunk.
- Use zip ties or galvanized wire to secure the edges where the cage meets.
Notes
- If beavers are accessing the tree by leaning against and bending the fence, consider using more than one layer of fencing with more staked support.
- Another option is to bend (angle) the top part of the fencing towards the tree to lean against the trunk for support.
- If you opt to wrap wire mesh around the tree, keep in mind that it will need to be adjusted frequently to accommodate tree growth.
- You can also use hardware mesh over exposed tree roots by staking it over them.
2. Fencing
Instead of forming individual tree cages, you can install fencing around the entire area you wish to protect. Fencing should be embedded into the ground and be at least 4 feet high. Make sure the fence is checked and maintained regularly for any openings that give beavers access to your property.
3. Drainage Pipes
Before you install drainage pipes, make sure you have permission to dig and install them. You may need large machinery or help from professional services for this method.
If flooding or pooling is occurring on your property, a drainage pipe placed near the dam can allow water to bypass and drain away. This may also encourage the beavers to leave since water will not pool for them to use the area.
4. Traps
Live traps are an excellent option for removing beavers.
What To Do
- Set the trap right before dusk since beavers are nocturnal. Traps work best when placed on their noticeable slides and pathways to the water.
- Cover the bottom of the trap with dirt, twigs, wood chips, and other organic materials to cover the wire bottom.
- Put logs on both sides of the trap to provide a guide into the trap.
- Use non-lethal bait such as beaver lure, castor oil, poplar branches, or apples.
- Monitor the trap frequently so you can catch and release it as soon as possible.
- Once the beaver has been relocated and there are no other beavers in the dam, you can take the dam down. Chop up the wood or mulch it and remove it from the property so it cannot be reused. Use caution since this can release a flood of water all at once and can cause people to slip or drown.
Notes
- Make sure you know the laws and regulations for trapping and relocation of beavers. Generally, they need to be released 10 miles away near a freshwater source. You cannot release a beaver onto another person’s property.
- There are kill traps available as well. Again, make sure you know the regulations about the use of these as well as what to do with a deceased beaver.
- Keep in mind that the traps used may catch other wildlife that you did not intend to catch.
5. Shoot To Kill
In some states, beavers can be shot and killed. Make sure you have any permits needed to shoot and kill beavers and know the laws and regulations for your area. Ensure that deceased beavers are disposed of properly.
Conclusion
The use of beaver poison is often not permitted, is ineffective, or harms other wildlife and the environment. Better options involve live trapping with non-lethal bait, installing tree cages or fencing, or using a drainage pipe to divert pooled water.
Often, beaver removal tactics will need to involve substantial finances or expert assistance to get rid of the problems associated with beavers on personal property.
