How to Get Rid of Mountain Beavers

There are several options for controlling beaver damage to trees. Three possibilities are exclusion, that is, keeping beavers away from vulnerable young seedlings; repelling beavers with a commercial product and trapping them live. You may want to try one, two, or all of these methods at once to achieve maximum positive results.

Place small diameter plastic mesh seedling protectors around young tree seedlings.

The plastic in these seedling protectors is degradable and therefore need not be removed as the tree grows.

Sprinkle a big game repellent powder, such as Deer Away directly onto vulnerable trees (see Resources). The manufacturer claims the odor of the repellent will keep beavers and other damaging wildlife away.

Purchase live beaver traps, like the Tomahawk trap. Traps should be placed very near beaver burrow entrances and checked twice daily. Once captured, live beavers should be placed in burlap bags for relocation or euthanized with carbon dioxide.

After a month, review the effectiveness of the method or methods you chose. Try new or additional methods the following month to improve your results if necessary.