Lodges and Bank Dens

Lodges and Bank Dens

• Depending on the type of water body they occupy, beavers construct freestanding lodges or bank dens.
• Lodges and bank dens are used for safety, and a place to rest, stay warm, give birth, and raise young.
• Freestanding lodges are built in areas where the bank or water levels aren’t sufficient for a safe bank den.
• Lodges consist of a mound of branches and logs, plastered with mud. One or more underwater openings lead to tunnels that meet at the center of the mound, where a single chamber is created.
• Bank dens are dug into the banks of streams and large ponds, and beavers may or may not build a lodge over them (Fig.2). Bank dens may also be located under stumps, logs, or docks.
• One family can have several lodges or bank dens, but will typically use only one den during winter.

This information was provide by the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife, Russell Link, and Michael Holmquist

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