7 Ways of Getting rid of Beavers Naturally [Homemade Beaver Repellents]
Beavers are one of the largest rodents in the world, and they are widespread throughout North America and Eurasia. Beavers are considered pests in many parts of the world because they can cause extensive damage by cutting down trees and flooding an area.
These animals are very hardworking and persistent, so it can be difficult to get rid of them from your property.
However, when you use the following natural methods, you can successfully get rid of them and prevent them from coming back.
How to Get Rid of Beavers Naturally?
Below listed are 7 effective natural ways to get rid of beavers. These methods include homemade beaver repellents, beaver traps, natural beaver repellents, beaver resistant plants and several other natural remedies.
Some of these natural methods are very useful in getting rid of Beavers Naturally without killing them.
1. Live Beaver Traps
Live traps are one of the best ways to get rid of beavers from your property without killing them. Traps are extremely effective for beavers because they don’t jump or climb anything.
Moreover, you can easily lay a trap almost anywhere on your property. However, it is important to keep in mind that you can only catch one or two beavers using this method.
Required Material
- Large live traps
- Beaver castor
- Mud
Step by Step Process:
- Start the process by identifying the areas where beavers are most active. Most beavers are found around water bodies, so look for signs of beaver damage around those areas.
- Open the cage and place it in an area with high beaver activity. It’s best to set the trap near a waterbody.
- Mix some mud with a bit of castor scent to use as bait. Place the bait inside the cage. You can also put a few twigs and branches if you want.
- Come back every 12 hours or so to see if a beaver has entered the trap.
- Once you trap the beaver, you must take it away from your property and release it in the wild. Make sure to follow your local guidelines for beaver relocation to ensure their safety.
Precautions:
This method can catch only one beaver at a time, so you must use a prevention method to keep them out in the long run.
2. Body Grip Trap to Get rid of Beavers
If it is legal to kill beavers in your locality, you can also use a body grip trap to get rid of beavers on your property.
You don’t need to use bait with these traps and they will kill the beaver immediately. This is one of the most common ways to get rid of beavers from your property because it is highly effective.
Required Material
- Body Gripping trap
- Safety catches
Step by Step Process:
- Start by Identifying an area that is frequented by the beavers. You can look for broken twigs and fallen trees to identify the perfect area for the trap.
- Open the trap and use safety catches to keep it stable.
- Place the trap in front of a beaver den or a dam and use some wooden stakes to keep it in place. Cover up the trap with some twigs and leaves to attract the beavers.
- Carefully open the safety catches to engage the trap.
- Come back every 12 hours to check on the trap. If you have caught a beaver, you can remove the dead animal and discard it safely.
Precautions:
Always check the legality of killing beavers in your area before proceeding with this method to avoid any legal trouble.
3. Tree Fence
If your property does not have a water source, beavers may still be attracted to the trees. They may gnaw at the trees to eat the bark or even cut down entire trees to collect material for their dams.
The best way to keep beavers away from your trees is to use tree fences. When you cover all your trees with fences, the beavers will be discouraged, and they will relocate to a different location.
Required Material
- ½ inch chicken wire
- Measuring tape
- Wire cutters
- Metal wire
Step by Step Process:
- Measure the circumference of each of the trees in your garden and note them down.
- Add 6 inches to the circumference and use that measurement to cut the chicken wire.
- Wrap the chicken wire around the tree to form a fence and use metal wire to connect the two ends.
- Repeat the process for all the trees in your garden. You can also use this method to protect saplings and other plants in your garden.
- After a while, the beavers will not come back anymore since there is nothing for them to eat or use anymore.
Precautions:
This method works best for properties with no water body. If there is any water body present, you must take additional precautions to get rid of beavers.
4. Beaver Electric Fence
Using an electric fence may be tricky since you have to place it quite low if you want it to prevent beavers. However, if you do it properly, it can work quite effectively. You can also use electric fences to protect your trees against beavers. When the beavers get shocked a few times, they will be discouraged from returning to your property.
Required Material
- Electric Fence wire
- Electric fence energizer
- Solar battery
- Plastic stakes
Step by Step Process:
- Cut down the plastic stakes to 2 feet of height. Insert them around the perimeter of your property.
- Wrap the electric fence wire around each stake at a height of 6 to 10.
- Connect the wires to the fence energizer and connect the energizer to a solar battery.
- Put the ground rod inside the earth and attach it to the energizer. Now you can turn on the fence.
- If beavers get shocked a few times by the electric fence, they will not return to your property again.
Precautions:
Do not use this method near a water body, because it increases the chance of electrocution significantly.
5. Sand Paint
One of the most effective ways to discourage beavers from chipping your trees is by using a sand and paint mixture. When you cover your tree trunk with sandy paint, it creates a gritty surface, which beavers hate.
When they cannot find any trees with exposed bark anymore, they will relocate to a different place. This is a highly effective method and you can use this on any wooden surface including fences, seawalls, etc.
Required Material
- House Paint
- Coarse sand
- Paintbrush
Step by Step Process:
- In a paint bucket, add 5 ounces of sand for every quart of paint. Mix the paint and sand together thoroughly.
- Use a paintbrush to spread the sand and paint mixture on your tree trunk evenly.
- Use the paint to cover the trunk from the base to around 3 feet.
- Let the paint dry for at least 24 hours before spraying any water. You can also do another coat of paint if you want.
- Beavers hate the gritty feeling of the sand in their mouth, so they will stay away from your trees.
Precautions:
This method is only effective for trees and wooden structures. If there is a water body nearby, you may need to use additional preventative methods to keep the beavers out.
6. Animal Repellent Granules
Animal repellent granules are commonly used by many homeowners to get rid of beavers from their yard or garden.
These granules release a strong smell and they have a bad taste, which helps keep beavers out of your garden. You can spread these granules in your woodpile, in your garden, and near your trees.
Required Material
Step by Step Process:
- Use the appropriate amount of granules and spread them around in your garden. Concentrate the granules in areas with saplings, trees, and woodpiles.
- You can also create a perimeter with the granules around your garden.
- Water the granules to activate them.
- When a beaver enters your garden, it will be repelled by the strong smell, so it will go away.
- Re-apply the mixture every 1 or 2 weeks to keep the smell strong.
Precautions:
This method is not guaranteed to work, since many beavers will eventually get used to the smell. So you must install preventative methods to keep them out permanently.
7. Dismantle the dams
If a beaver starts creating dams in a water body on your property, it can be quite difficult to get rid of them. The best way to discourage the beavers from building dams is by breaking them up constantly.
This method takes a lot of time but it can help you get rid of beavers from a water body. It’s also best to use a preventative method like fencing to prevent the beavers from returning again.
Required Material
- Shovel
- Wood Chipper
Step by Step Process:
- When you see a beaver dam in the water body, dig it up with a shovel and dismantle the twigs.
- Take up any of the larger pieces and put them through a wood chipper to ensure that the beavers don’t use them again.
- If there are any trees and plants nearby, you should protect them using a fence to prevent the beavers from collecting any more wood.
- The beavers will likely build the dam again the next day. So you must keep dismantling it for a few weeks until you see that the beavers are gone.
Precautions:
Even if you manage to get rid of beavers with this method, they may come back again. So, you should try using a prevention method like fencing to prevent them from coming back.
Natural Ways to Keep Beavers Away
Below are 4 natural ways to keep beavers away. These natural methods work effectively to prevent beavers.
1. Wire Fence
One of the best ways to prevent beavers on your property is a fence. While you can use a wooden fence, it is usually not great for beavers because they can chew through them. A wire fence is the better option since they cannot cut wires with their teeth.
You must cover the entire perimeter with a wire fence to block all entry points. The fence needs to be only 4 to 5 feet high since beavers cannot climb well.
2. Remove food sources
Beavers don’t usually attack property or gardens unless they have something to gain from it. If there are any food sources for beavers in your garden, they will be attracted to it.
Beavers are herbivores, so they usually eat saplings, aquatic plants, tree bark, leaves, and twigs. If you remove all unnecessary weeds, grass, plants, and trees from your garden, beavers will not be as interested anymore.
3. Beaver resistant plants
Beavers tend to prefer certain types of trees like cottonwood, willow, maple, birch, and apple. If you have any of these trees on your property, beavers may be attracted to them.
However, they also have a strong dislike for conifers like pine and hemlock.
So, you can plant these trees around your property to make the area unfavorable for the beavers. If you surround your property with these trees, you can effectively prevent beavers from coming.
4. Remove water sources
If there are any water sources on your property like a pond or a stream, beavers will be attracted to them.
If the water source is not important, you can get rid of it to prevent beavers. You may also try putting a fence around your pond or stream if you cannot remove it.
Best Natural Beaver Repellents
If you are looking for readily available natural repellents to get rid of beavers, check below listed best Natural and Organic repellents.
Final Words:
Beavers are extremely beneficial for the environment, but they can easily become a nuisance when they start invading your property or garden.
They can cut down entire trees, cause flooding and damage aquatic plants and animals. That is why it’s very important to get rid of and prevent beavers from your property.
It can be time-consuming and difficult to get rid of beavers because they are persistent and defensive. However, when you use the natural methods properly, you can get rid of them effectively.