This family-based, monogamous, buck-toothed, national emblem and keystone species can appear to be a nuisance to some cottagers. ‘Removal’ is typically the chosen solution yet, lethal trapping has shown to be, at most, a temporary solution. Eventually new families of beaver will take up residence in ecosystems ‘emptied’ of this species. In the meantime, the wetland habitat may deteriorate while the conibear traps may also entrap unintended species including eagles and dogs and leave orphaned kits.
There is another way. Co-existence. There is room for both of us, human and beaver (who self-regulate its population), and here are some tips to deal with certain beaver ‘problems’:
Tree Damage: Beavers like young fast-growing species like aspen and birch. While they naturally open up the forest canopy, they can target your special tree. Simply wrap sturdy wire mesh around the base of your tree about 4’ high leaving a 6” space from the trunk.
Dock Lodges: To prevent beavers from making a home under your dock, wrap galvanized, welded wire fencing around your flotation blocks and wooden supports. Replace foam flotation blocks with foam logs encased in a resistant polyethylene shell.
Giardiasis: This gastro illness is caused by the ingestion of giardia cysts from human or animal fecal wastes into surface water supplies. Fractional levels of this parasite have been found in national surveys having minimal impact. The beaver is taking the rap for this diarrhea-inducing parasite, but some question whether humans are actually more to blame. (One study shows giardia infected beavers downstream of a human campsite but not upstream.)
To prevent ‘beaver fever’:
- Don’t poop in or within 100’ of the lake and don’t rinse your hands in the lake afterward. Wash your hands very well after going to the loo to prevent hand-mouth contamination.
- Pick up your pet’s poo
- Boil drinking water for 1 minute if giardia is suspected in your source water
- Install an appropriate water filter with an absolute pore size of 1 micron or smaller
- Treat the water with UV lamp designed to purify water; these work best with water that has already been filtered
- Maintain your filters and UV purifiers regularly
Learn more about filters and UV purifiers:
http://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/water-treatment-backcountry.html
Learn more about Giardia:
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ewh-semt/pubs/water-eau/giardia_cryptosporidium-eng.php
Learn more about beavers:
Learn more about solving beaver ‘problems’
http://www.beaversww.org/solving-problems/