Plants and other belongings can be damaged to great extent by beavers that are able to access them through ladders, steps or small openings. Piles of bricks, sticks and other debris may be their targets for attacks. They make use of their teeth to attack the seawalls. Moreover they are clever to leverage themselves up from the lake. Beavers are able to travel a distance of more than one hundred fifty feet from water to the desirable plants. Even several good sized trees may fall victim to the beavers within a single night.
Beaver attacks can be prevented with the following steps:
- Tree Cages – It is recommended that trees are wrapped with cylinder cages prepared with strong galvanized welded wire fencing or with supplying plastic fencing. The height of such fencings should be about three inches. A pair of wire snips and gloves may be needed in addition to this. The trunk of the tree may be encircled with a gap of about six inches between the tree and cage on all sides. This is to enable the tree to grow in even manners to discourage the beavers from leaning against or gnaw through the fencing. Likewise the large exposed roots extending outside the cage may also be protected in feasible manners.
- Mixture of paint and sand – Gnawing and beaver damage to the trees can be prevented by applying a mixture of latex and gritty fine or masonry sand to the tree trunks. This is one of the best methods to save the trees from damages because of beavers. Similarly, docks, seawalls and other wooden structures can also be prevented from damages that can be caused because of beavers. The latter can be discouraged by supplying plastic fencings too.
- Shoreline barriers – Large shorelines without seawalls and vegetated in heavy manners can be protected through barriers across the low parts that are prone to beaver damages. Approval from ARC must be obtained in this regard.
- Repellents – Small foliage plants, saplings and shrubs can be protected in even manners with repellants. Ro-pel is one of such best deterrents that have since been registered with the U.S. EPA. It has been found that rich contents of sulfur compounds in the repellents work wonders in discouraging beavers. Big Game Repellent Powder and Deer Off are the prominent brands. Likewise Growing Season Repellent made available by Nott Products is also quite effective for protecting plants. Regular reapplication of such protective measures is useful.
- Wildlife Conflict Resolution Services – Household properties including plants can be protected from beavers through barriers or wrapping them in even manners. An effective wildlife/beaver conflict resolution package has since been facilitated by LBA with collaboration with the United States’ Humane Society. This package has been prepared to conform to LBA’s Beaver Management Policy and the extraordinary conditions of our lake. Constructing barriers, fencing and wrapping trees are other such viable methods in addition to supplying plastic fencing for saving plants and other properties.
The above feasible and successful methods prove their worth as viable means to discourage the beavers from damaging our plants and belongings in feasible manners.