How do you destroy a beaver's den? Beavers are destroying trees all around the ponds on our property. Any advice would be most appreciated.

I was at one time, an avid beaver trapper until fur prices dropped & gas prices climbed. They are a very neat animal to watch in action, but a little research will tell you they are North America's largest rodent. They will over-populate easily and destroy everything in their path. They destroy crops, flood fields, roads & even timber. They also chew down any ornamental trees you might have.

If they have taken up home in a pond, in which case they will not build a lodge but burrow into the banks and/or levee, they must be removed or you risk your pond levee be compromised by their digging.

Given what I've said and what others above have stated, I believe you should have enough information to make a good decision on what to do.

I saw on some TV show how to build a device to prevent beavers from damming up road culverts. First is understanding that the beaver needs some geographical and audio triggers to build, such as, a stream intersecting a road at a right angle and of course a good food source. Since we don’t want to get rid of the food source we will work with the geographic and audio triggers. The sound of running water through the culvert is what triggers the beavers to build. Get them further away from the entrance of the culverts and that trigger is eliminated.

I don’t remember all the specifics but here is what I can recall, of course with approximations.

You will need a roll of 5"x5" heavy concert reinforcing fencing or mesh and plenty of pressure treated 2x4’s or 6x6 (depending on flow rate). Plus nails to put the frame together and connect the wire mesh to the frame.

First the side of the ANTI-BEAVER DAMMER facing the flow of the stream must be wider than the culvert. NO RIGHT ANGLES! Try tripling the width of the culvert, 2-foot culvert, 6-foot width about 4-foot away, wider culverts further away..

The up streamside, should be 6-foot wide and as high as the roadway, or fence height about 4-foot away from the entrance of the culvert. The sides should angle back to the sides of the culvert. This is real important you must cut fencing to size( a little bigger is better) for the bottom so the beaver doesn’t get under the fencing and build a dam inside.

Secure the vertical lengths of the wood frame into the ground by digging or pounding through the bottom fencing into the streambed. Attach vertical supports at the top of fence height and diagonal supports from top of front vertical post to bottom of rear posts. Attach front and side fencing to posts, then connect the bottoms together with wire from bottom fencing or cut from rolls. Twist a pigtail connection to lock them together.

I hope this will help you

Bill Johnson
Jamison, PA

I can help but not on a public forum.

We struggle with beavers most every Spring when the two year olds set out in search of a new home and try to setup home by clogging the culvert under our road/driveway, resulting in overwashing of the road and resultant impassability. We are among many who have seen a dramatic increase in these Beaver issues since Massachusetts imposed strict regualtions concerning Beavers and their removal.

We are in Connecticut, but close to the border and a steady stream of beavers come to our area (obviously not just from Mass.) to set up home. In Mass there is a specific beaurocratic process for their removal which must be done by a licensed trapper; usually for a $500 fee.

Fortunately there is no such process is CT (yet)and given that we are pretty remote no such oversight is practical; what happens out in the woods, stays out in the woods.

We have tried all manner of ways to dissuade the beavers from plugging our culvert, but given the topography and hydrology of our area it simply isn't possible. We have to manually remove the materials plugging the culvert and sit out in wait, at night, for them to come make another attempt. At which point we eliminate said Beaver, and the problem is gone for another year or two.

This isn't really consistent with the way I would typically do things but given the repetetive nature of the issue and the tenacity of Beavers in general I have learned to accept it as a necessity in keeping our road open such that we can conduct our daily lives.

We struggle with beavers most every Spring when the two year olds set out in search of a new home and try to setup home by clogging the culvert under our road/driveway, resulting in overwashing of the road and resultant impassability. We are among many who have seen a dramatic increase in these Beaver issues since Massachusetts imposed strict regualtions concerning Beavers and their removal.

We are in Connecticut, but close to the border and a steady stream of beavers come to our area (obviously not just from Mass.) to set up home. In Mass there is a specific beaurocratic process for their removal which must be done by a licensed trapper; usually for a $500 fee.

Fortunately there is no such process is CT (yet)and given that we are pretty remote no such oversight is practical; what happens out in the woods, stays out in the woods.

We have tried all manner of ways to dissuade the beavers from plugging our culvert, but given the topography and hydrology of our area it simply isn't possible. We have to manually remove the materials plugging the culvert and sit out in wait, at night, for them to come make another attempt. At which point we eliminate said Beaver, and the problem is gone for another year or two.

This isn't really consistent with the way I would typically do things but given the repetetive nature of the issue and the tenacity of Beavers in general I have learned to accept it as a necessity in keeping our road open such that we can conduct our daily lives.

Yes, certainly beavers are good for flora & fauna that like slow moving/standing water, like mosquitoes and their accompanying diseases. However, I would imagine you acquired this property because it has a RIVER not a POND! Therefore you have to get rid of them, not welcome them.

This time of year is a very effective time to destroy a beaver den as they depend on the shelter as protection against the winter elements. Destroy the den and you'll be rid of the beavers. Your aim is to deprive them of their shelter and make your property undesirable.

You could also acquire a live trap large enough to accomodate the critter and then take it far from your property to continue its life elsewhere.

If you feel strongly about coexistance then also encourage its natural predators (coyotes, wolves, cougars and bobcats) to take up residence near your property to help maintain a proper balance of nature.

That said, you will need to be a BIG fan of a beaver if you'd want the above predators near you! Coyotes, wolves & bobcats are nothing to worry about, but cougars/mountain lions are not safe to be near.

Good luck!