Beavers are primarily non-aggressive animals. Well adapted for swimming and gnawing, beavers have short legs, webbed back feet, and stocky bodies, which make them clumsy when on land.
These animals are rarely hostile, but under the right conditions, beavers can be dangerous to people:
- When a beaver feels threatened, especially if it has young kits nearby.
- If a beaver has rabies, its behavior can be erratic and aggressive.
- If you have your dog with you, a beaver might see it as a threat.
- Beaver dams alter the geography and can cause damaging flooding to roads and property.
- A beaver on your property will raid the garden and gnaw at trees.
Call a professional wildlife service to help mitigate the problem if you encounter a beaver. Don’t wait to discover the answer to the question, “Are beavers dangerous?” Critter Control has the expertise and experience to humanely conduct beaver removal and the knowledge to do so legally.
Is it Common to Encounter a Beaver?
Beavers live throughout North America in places with water, such as streams, ponds, and marshes, where they can build dams and lodges to live in.
Mostly seen while you are hiking in the woods or a park, there are growing instances where beavers build their dams in residential areas. Since their habitats are shrinking, they not only thrive in woodlands and meadows but in suburbs, too. It’s then possible for property owners to encounter these pests up close as they forage for food.
Do Beavers Attack Humans?
Beavers are not dangerous if left alone. However, they will stand their ground and confront a threat. If trapped or cornered, a beaver will attack a human.
Before beavers attack humans or other animals, they send a warning by growling and hissing. On land, the animal rises to its hind legs to face a threat. In the water, a startled beaver slaps its tail against the surface to alert others in the colony before diving to safety.
If you encounter a beaver, it’s best to keep your distance and leave if it is showing signs of aggression. Beavers’ sharp teeth can cause serious injury as well as infection. Beavers carry tularemia, parasites, and rabies, which can transfer through bites, body fluids, or infected water.
Are Beavers Dangerous to Property?
Beaver damage to property and homes is the greatest danger a beaver infestation poses. Beaver damage is primarily in two categories: landscape damage and dam damage.
Beaver activity can damage trees and landscapes. Beavers damage trees by gnawing on them. They cut down trees to use the wood for building their dams. In your yard, they could take down a tree of value to your landscape, and further damage could be caused if that tree falls on your house, shed, or the car in your driveway. They will also forage for food from your garden, ruining plants and shrubs. Beavers will also dig ditches and channels.
Once their dam is set up, the flooding caused by the backup of water can flood roads and yards, damaging your driveway and foundation or negatively altering the drainage of your property, causing erosion. In addition, the flooding can cause your septic system to malfunction.
How Can I Protect My Yard From Beavers?
If you notice a tree in your yard gnawed sharp like a pencil, a dam being built nearby, or beaver tracks, you need to protect your property before serious damage takes place. Since beavers are a protected species, their dams and lodges cannot be removed without the assistance of a wildlife specialist with permits.
Beaver damage prevention:
- Wrapping your tree trunks with mesh or other protective coverings that will keep the beaver from gnawing them.
- Constructing fences around your garden or around the entire property to prevent them from entering.
- Installing a pond leveler that will allow a slow leak of water to keep it from flooding the surrounding area. By controlling the water flow to prevent flooding, the beavers can stay in their lodge and habitat without damaging the surrounding area.
- Using commercial repellents with unpleasant odors to keep beavers from chewing on trees and other vegetation.
- Consult Critter Control to create a plan for either living with the beavers or removing them.
Beaver Trapping
Beaver trapping by a professional wildlife specialist is the most effective and humane way to remove beavers and lessen their damage. There are several types of traps used depending on the situation: foot-hold, live cage, body grip, or non-powered cable devices.
Always use a professional. Professional wildlife control operators have the knowledge and skill to place traps near lodges and dams while avoiding an aggressive beaver. Beavers can become aggressive if their lodge feels threatened especially if kits are in the lodge. States have different permitting for beaver trapping, and the professionals at Critter Control will obtain all necessary permits to legally remove the beaver.
Beaver Exclusion
After beaver removal, Critter Control will present you with an exclusion plan to prevent their return to your property. The best method is installing fences around trees or your complete yard.
One beaver trait is that they are not good climbers, so a fence that is 24 to 30 inches high is sufficient. But because they have very sharp teeth, a heavy gauge wire must be used. The bottom of the fence should also be buried a few inches below ground so these critters can’t dig or crawl underneath.
To protect individual trees, wrap them in mesh hardware cloth or create a circular fence made of deer fencing that is also buried a few inches underground.
Contact Critter Control to Remove Problem Beavers
Contact Critter Control when you need effective beaver control. With over 40 years of experience and an office near you, Critter Control is fully equipped to humanely, safely, and effectively rid your property of beavers.