Description
Mountain beavers are believed to be the world's most primitive living rodent species. Although, they share some of the same habits such as tree girdling and downing small trees and shrubs, they are not really a type of beaver. Mountain beavers are such a primitive-type species that their closest relative in the animal kingdom are members of the family “Sciurudae” which includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels, chipmunks, marmots, flying squirrels, and prairie dogs. They are very elusive, damaging to vegetation, and though they are not inherently aggressive, they can bite pretty hard.
Appearance
Mountain beavers resemble large hamsters or a tailless muskrat.
- 12-14 inches long
- Weigh 2-3 pounds
- Small ears and eyes
- Short, barely noticeable tails
- Large, curved front claws used for digging, grasping, and climbing
Habitat
Mountain beavers create extensive burrow systems that consist of 5 chambers and a combination of different entry holes. Their preferred habitat in in areas with moist, shaded slopes and ravines. They are small and easily preyed upon by predators, so they choose to tunnel in areas that are uninviting to other animals such as nettles and thorny bushes.
Burrowing
Burrows created by mountain beavers are quite extensive. The entire burrow will run 6-8 inches in diameter. Special chambers throughout the burrow will be used for nesting, feeding, storing food, storing extra earth material or storing droppings. With 10 or more exits, mountain beavers are able to travel the majority of their distance underground. Unoccupied mountain beaver tunnels may be used by mice, moles, voles, rats, rabbits, weasels, minks, spotted skunks, and salamanders.
Damage
Mountain beavers can destroy expensive and extensive landscaping in or around your yard. Saplings are one of their favorites and they will seek them out and chew them down to nubs. They are strictly herbivorous, meaning they only eat plants, and prefer rhododendrons, sword ferns, skunk cabbage, nettles, willows, and more. Due to their substantial amount of tunneling, they can also cause sink holes and mudslides in areas that have substantial moisture or water runoff. When the damage becomes this severe it will take experts and professionals to resolve the situation.
Mountain Beaver Control
Critter Control of Seattle can trap and remove mountain beavers near your home or business. Our professional team of wildlife specialists are experienced in safe removal and trapping methods. Once the mountain beaver is removed, Critter Control of Seattle will assess the situation and will create a plan of prevention. With severe damage, we will recommend contacting an eco-engineer for advice on how to proceed.
Critter Control Reviews
Full service. Excellent job of extracting raccoon, cleaning all animal waste, sanitizing, and spraying anti-parasitic substance. They closed all potential ports of entry, though the work did not match the vinyl, and it looks kind of tacky. They added blown insulation, which added a lot to the cost. They provide a one year warranty against animal intrusion, with an option to extend the warranty at the end of each one- year period. They were willing to work with me one the price. I will probably extend my warranty, and will definitely use them it the future.
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Chattanooga
I was really impressed by these guys. Got a call within a few hours of making an inquiry. Had a rep out to inspect the situation by the end of the week, and when they laid out the timeline they kept if not exceeded listed times.
Rob, Travis, and Jim were all professional, polite, and courteous and after months of hearing squirrels in my ceiling they are gone and the repair to my flashing looks excellent. Can't recommend these guys enough.
Jeff was incredibly professional and helpful. I'll use them again and would recommend them to anyone.
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Detroit, MI
Critter Control did a great job of evaluating our house for sites of entry after we found bats and a squirrel in our attic. They completed their work promptly and professionally.
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Seattle, WA
We heard some noise from the corner of our house. Concerned that it could be inside we called for an inspection. Jessy arrived as scheduled and conducted a complete inspection of our home. Based on a recording we made he determined we had a tree frog on our roof. I was pleased that we didn’t have any rodent in our house. And his inspection could a few spots I can tighten up around my house. I am very happy with the outcome.
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New Hampshire
We have a vacation home in
Western Mass and haven’t been there much during the pandemic as we live and work in Atlanta, GA. On our most recent visit we noticed that we had some rodent intrusion as well as some un-welcomed wildlife who decided to make our vacation home their home.
We contacted Critter Control and Mr. Cahoon was quick to set up an appointment as we wouldn’t be in town very long. He came out and assessed our issues. He informed us of our options to both eradicate and control future intrusions. Keeping in mind that wildlife is wildlife! He quickly got to work eradicating the rodents and wildlife from our home and addressing the intrusion issues. We feel much better leaving our vacation home for periods at a time knowing that Mr. Cahoon and Critter Control did their job and did it right! Thanks again!
We bought an old cabin last spring , it was used for years as a summer vacation cabin, therefore maintenance wasn’t a priority. After our project to remodel started, we found evidence of
mice droppings.
We immediately called Critter Control and they came and gave us a reasonable estimate to remove all remnants and insulation. They sanitized and replaced with new insulation and sealing up points of entry .
Seeing their professional work made us feel confident and secure that the problem was solved ! Everyone we worked with continued to show professional and respectful work. Highly recommend this company! We continue to use critter control monthly to be sure we are mice and bug free!