Preventing Conflicts With Mountain Beavers
Preventing
Conflicts
Mountain beavers serve an important function in nature owing to the amount of soil they move and the number of vacant burrows they leave behind for other wildlife. Over time, their old nests, partially filled food pantries and toilets, are buried well below the surface, where the vegetation and droppings become fertilizer.
Most people would not tolerate problematic mountain beavers on their commercial property because of the logical concern that leaving them alone would lead to more damage. When they are feeding in Christmas tree farms, commercial timber farms, and other commercial operations, this may be true. For the homeowner, however, mountain beavers are more of an occasional nuisance in the landscape or garden, not a long-term problem or threat. There are of course, exceptions.
If the burrowing activity of mountain beavers is causing problems for livestock in pastures or undermining roadbeds, irrigation ditches, and earthen dams. Mountain beavers occasionally will get caught in window wells.
While you may be able to remove an existing mountain beaver population or force them elsewhere, if suitable conditions exist and mountain beavers occur nearby, others will eventually move into vacated areas. In addition, it is important to understand that mountain beaver problems rarely can be resolved by a quick fix method, but that a continuing commitment to whatever solutions are adopted is required.
To prevent conflicts or remedy problems:
Harass mountain beavers in their burrows.
Becoming a "bad neighbor" may cause a mountain beaver to leave an area, especially if it hasn't lived there long. Fill all existing and new tunnel entrances with dirt, rocks, or wadded up newspaper. Some people have had success using freshly used cat litter in this way.
In addition, you can roll rags into tight balls the size of tennis balls and tie them with twine. Sprinkle predator urine (mink, coyote, or bobcat available from trapper supply outlets and over the Internet) or ammonia on these. Using a piece of stiff wire, such as an opened clothes hanger, put the rag balls into the burrow as far as you can and cover the hole lightly with dirt or wadded newspaper.
Harass the mountain beaver daily for as long as necessary, and don't be surprised if it takes a couple of weeks for the animal to leave.
Where mountain beavers are well established, their systems are extensive and flooding with a garden hose is unlikely to disperse the animals.
When attempting to flood out a mountain beaver, concentrate the effort in late winter before mountain beavers give birth. Be careful when attempting to flood out a mountain beaver near a building; doing so could damage the foundation or flood the basement or crawl space.
Install fences and other barriers.
In areas where individual small trees or shrubs are being damaged, surround the plants with 24-inch tall smooth metal cylinders. To prevent mountain beavers from climbing larger plants to access upper branches, install a barrier
Multi-stemmed trees, large shrubs, and groups of plants can be enclosed in a mini floppy fence made from wire mesh silt fencing, plastic weed mats, or a similar smooth material. Mountain beavers have well-developed senses of smell, touch, and taste. However, they have poor eyesight, and this barrier should prevent them from finding the trees and shrubs. If they attempt to climb the fence, its tendency to flop will keep the animals from reaching the top.
A floppy fence can also be constructed as a barrier between an active mountain beaver colony and a large area needing protection. To prevent mountain beavers from walking around the fence, connect each end to an existing, impenetrable solid fence or structure.
To prevent the mountain beaver from digging under the fence, keep a 2-foot wide wire apron on top of the ground on the mountain beaver's side of the fence. Keep the apron flush to the ground with rocks and/or stakes, or the mountain beaver will shimmy under it.
An alternative to the floppy fence is a fence made of electrified netting, of the type used to exclude rabbits. Electrified netting is available from some farm supply centers and off the Internet.
Small areas that need protection from burrowing mountain beavers can be covered with a 6-inch layer of gravel or 1-inch wire mesh laid over the area and anchored to the ground.
Repellents and Fumigants
Repellents applied to plants have not proven consistently effective; new products are currently being tested.
Fumigants of all types have been tried and are generally ineffective, probably because of mountain beavers' maze of tunnels, and their ability to quickly close off entrances
Mountain beavers serve an important function in nature owing to the amount of soil they move and the number of vacant burrows they leave behind for other wildlife. Over time, their old nests, partially filled food pantries and toilets, are buried well below the surface, where the vegetation and droppings become fertilizer.
Most people would not tolerate problematic mountain beavers on their commercial property because of the logical concern that leaving them alone would lead to more damage. When they are feeding in Christmas tree farms, commercial timber farms, and other commercial operations, this may be true. For the homeowner, however, mountain beavers are more of an occasional nuisance in the landscape or garden, not a long-term problem or threat. There are of course, exceptions.
If the burrowing activity of mountain beavers is causing problems for livestock in pastures or undermining roadbeds, irrigation ditches, and earthen dams. Mountain beavers occasionally will get caught in window wells.
While you may be able to remove an existing mountain beaver population or force them elsewhere, if suitable conditions exist and mountain beavers occur nearby, others will eventually move into vacated areas. In addition, it is important to understand that mountain beaver problems rarely can be resolved by a quick fix method, but that a continuing commitment to whatever solutions are adopted is required.
To prevent conflicts or remedy problems:
Harass mountain beavers in their burrows.
Becoming a "bad neighbor" may cause a mountain beaver to leave an area, especially if it hasn't lived there long. Fill all existing and new tunnel entrances with dirt, rocks, or wadded up newspaper. Some people have had success using freshly used cat litter in this way.
In addition, you can roll rags into tight balls the size of tennis balls and tie them with twine. Sprinkle predator urine (mink, coyote, or bobcat available from trapper supply outlets and over the Internet) or ammonia on these. Using a piece of stiff wire, such as an opened clothes hanger, put the rag balls into the burrow as far as you can and cover the hole lightly with dirt or wadded newspaper.
Harass the mountain beaver daily for as long as necessary, and don't be surprised if it takes a couple of weeks for the animal to leave.
Where mountain beavers are well established, their systems are extensive and flooding with a garden hose is unlikely to disperse the animals.
When attempting to flood out a mountain beaver, concentrate the effort in late winter before mountain beavers give birth. Be careful when attempting to flood out a mountain beaver near a building; doing so could damage the foundation or flood the basement or crawl space.
Install fences and other barriers.
In areas where individual small trees or shrubs are being damaged, surround the plants with 24-inch tall smooth metal cylinders. To prevent mountain beavers from climbing larger plants to access upper branches, install a barrier
Multi-stemmed trees, large shrubs, and groups of plants can be enclosed in a mini floppy fence made from wire mesh silt fencing, plastic weed mats, or a similar smooth material. Mountain beavers have well-developed senses of smell, touch, and taste. However, they have poor eyesight, and this barrier should prevent them from finding the trees and shrubs. If they attempt to climb the fence, its tendency to flop will keep the animals from reaching the top.
A floppy fence can also be constructed as a barrier between an active mountain beaver colony and a large area needing protection. To prevent mountain beavers from walking around the fence, connect each end to an existing, impenetrable solid fence or structure.
To prevent the mountain beaver from digging under the fence, keep a 2-foot wide wire apron on top of the ground on the mountain beaver's side of the fence. Keep the apron flush to the ground with rocks and/or stakes, or the mountain beaver will shimmy under it.
An alternative to the floppy fence is a fence made of electrified netting, of the type used to exclude rabbits. Electrified netting is available from some farm supply centers and off the Internet.
Small areas that need protection from burrowing mountain beavers can be covered with a 6-inch layer of gravel or 1-inch wire mesh laid over the area and anchored to the ground.
Repellents and Fumigants
Repellents applied to plants have not proven consistently effective; new products are currently being tested.
Fumigants of all types have been tried and are generally ineffective, probably because of mountain beavers' maze of tunnels, and their ability to quickly close off entrances
This information was provided by the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife, Russell Link, and Michael Holmquist
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