Just what does this mean, and what are the potential dangers of an increased population of beavers?
Years of beaver trapping by the famed Mountain Men of the Old West leads you to think a beaver is not a pest and nuisance. But, it seems that’s the story.
Beavers are the largest species of rodent found in North America. They are usually between 22 and 35 inches long, with a tail about 10 to 20 inches long.
The semi-aquatic rodents usually weigh 35 to 50 pounds, but some adult beavers have been recorded that weigh over 100 pounds. How would you like to walk out your back door and run into a 100-pound beaver?
Like all rodents, beavers’ teeth grow constantly; therefore, they have a great need to gnaw in order to keep their teeth ground to a short enough length.
Beavers can easily live in water because of their paddle-shaped tails, waterproof fur and webbed hind feet. Their fur was long coveted for top hats in New England and Europe.
The beaver uses its tail as a rudder when swimming and as a prop when sitting up. Beaver colors can range from yellowish brown to black with reddish brown being the most common color combo.
Local authorities emphasized there is a substantial problems with beavers throughout the community ... and not just in the Tasso area.
There are professional beaver trappers or wildlife control technicians. Their main line of work is to remove beavers from locations where they are causing damage.
Frequently asked questions about beavers:
Where do beavers live? When is a beaver most active? How many beavers are in a colony? What foods will a beaver eat? Why should I learn how to get rid of a beaver? Do beavers carry diseases? Do beavers have parasites? I want to trap or kill a beaver myself. Is that OK?
The answers:
— Beavers are located throughout most of the United States, except Florida and some southwestern desert areas. They thrive wherever year-round aquatic habitats are found, such as ponds, streams, lakes, swamps, ditches, canals and drains, no matter how close these waterways are to humans.
— The term “busy as a beaver” is very fitting. Beavers are active for about 12 hours of the night, except on the coldest of winter evenings. It is not uncommon to see beavers working during the day, either.
— Beavers are very territorial rodents. Four to eight related beavers will generally live together. Young beavers are usually pushed out at about the age of two, and then they will set off on their own to start a new colony.
— The majority of the beaver’s diet is made up of vegetation, and any animal matter they do eat is thought to be an unintended side effect of the manner in which they find their food. Beavers prefer to eat certain wooded species such as aspenwood, cottonwood, willow, sweetgum, blackgum, black cherry, tulip poplar and pine. They also eat the leaves, twigs and bark.
— Beavers near your pool, river or pond can do a lot of damage to your landscape. Beavers chop down entire trees with their dam-building efforts, which will affect your landscape and damage your home, garage or other structures. They also destroy foliage in your yard as they forage for food.
— Beavers threaten human health by going to the bathroom in drinking water and contaminating it with giardia, or beaver fever. Giardia is an intestinal parasite that causes diarrhea, bloating, flatulence, stomach cramps, fatigue, nausea and weight loss.
— Beavers are heavily infested with parasites which can spread into your drinking or swimming water searching for hosts.
— It may be tempting to take matters into your own hands in removing beavers from your property, but in the long run, you could put yourself, your family and your home at risk of damage, distress and disease.
