Tag Archives: beaver in northern michigan

Beaver Freezer

Beavers are the largest yet most elusive rodent species in Michigan. Even though these mammals often top the scales at more than 50 lbs, it’s quite challenging to scope them out because of their mostly nocturnal and semi-aquatic tendencies. They are hands down the best dam builders in the state (HAHA). In late autumn, beavers prepare for winter by improving their dams, adding extra sticks and mud to their lodges; but also, and most importantly, beavers stock their underwater pantries. Wildlife biologists like to call the winter food cache a ‘Beaver Freezer.’ Rarely does a human look inside these underwater sites; as ice freezes, it quickly becomes opaque, snow blocks any view.

What are food caches?

Each fall, beavers that live in cold areas (including all of Michigan) construct various Beaver Freezers in relatively deep waters close to their lodge or just a short swim away under the ice. Each Beaver Freezer is an accumulation of tree branches and sustains the family throughout the winter months. As the days of autumn wane, the diligent beavers fell and gnaw tree limbs and saplings into short, manageable lengths, dragging them to the lakeshore. In doing so, they move along canals they’ve created to keep exposure to predators at a minimum. Once back in the lake, the beavers jab one end of a limb into the muddy floor to secure it in place. After few days of this, these winter caches look like miniature underwater forests.

What do beavers eat?

When a beaver becomes hungry, they can flip down into one of the lodge openings beneath the ice and swim to their underwater Beaver Freezer. The beavers then drag the day’s meal into the lodge’s feeding chamber, strip off and eat the bark and inner cambium layers where the nutrients are, and discard the rest. This method is not too far removed from humans eating corn on the cob. This winter, the remains of some early woody meals floated up to the bottom of the clear ice and can be seen next to trapped air bubbles exposing a secret of the beaver freezer.

When spring approaches, or if the ice melts early, the adult beavers emerge from their dark aquatic world to feed on fresh woody stems and emergent vegetation along the shore. During these forays, they are vulnerable to wolves and cougars in the north country of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. In the Lower Peninsula, they draw the attention of coyotes. But now, as winter settles in, the beavers are safe and secure in their snow-capped lodges.

As mentioned previously, beavers fell and gnaw trees surrounding bodies of water. Oftentimes these trees happen to be on property under the ownership of humans. Humans do not take kindly to flooded property or babbling brooks running dry. In these cases, property owners need to seek professionals’ aid to assist in curbing the beaver problem. Not only is Hogarth’s Pest Control and Wildlife Removal skilled in beaver trapping and removal— we rather enjoy it! Please do not hesitate to reach out to us if you require assistance. We are happy to help!

Leave It To Beaver

Property damage caused by beavers at a northern Michigan client’s home.

In recent years, beaver populations have been relatively high. This is due to a lack of extensive trapping and an abundance of food. These animals can cause considerable problems for county road commissions, private landowners, and waterfront landowners. They create these problems by tree cutting, building dams, flooding property, and blocking culverts. We most often receive calls from property owners experiencing issues due to beaver damage of trees and flooding of waterways, which interferes with land uses. This can cause devastating structural and landscaping damage if untreated.

Beaver Trapping and Removal

Beaver are especially aggressive in the late summer and fall, but do not hibernate in the winter months so a problem may persist. There is one overwhelming fact of dealing with them – you must remove all of the beaver to solve the problem. Any attempt to control these problems without removing the beaver is futile. It is possible to unplug a culvert and draw the water down with them still in place; however, in most cases, the dam will be rebuilt, and the water will flood the next day again.

Ideally, if the problems are not too extreme, an experienced trapper can remove all the beaver in the area during the licensed trapping season. Unfortunately, beaver problems often crop up well before the late fall trapping season. If the problem is pressing, a free Beaver Damage Control Permit can be obtained from the DNR. This allows the landowner to remove the beaver outside of the trapping season if there is proven damage (road washout, flooding, etc.).

Catching these animals during the offseason is more difficult; this is due to their behavior being somewhat different from what many trappers most commonly deal with. Inexperienced trappers will often create more of a problem for you in the long run. They can sometimes only catch one or two of the young beaver; this results in the rest of the colony with adults becoming much warier.

Removal Mistakes

A common mistake we hear of is landowners stating their intention to remove the beaver by shooting them. Research indicates the average colony is about five animals. Anyone trying to shoot all the beaver in a colony one time will quickly find that is impossible. The most likely scenario is that one or two of the young may be vulnerable to shooting; the rest of the colony will become completely nocturnal. Shooting these animals is not easy since there is very little visible when they are swimming. Shooting should only be a last resort for wildlife professionals.

In years past, conservation officers and fire officers would blast beaver dams out with dynamite. Times have changed, and dams are not blasted anymore. Another danger of blasting the dams is the likelihood of washing out downstream roads, culverts, and stream crossings. When a large dam (some up over six feet high) is suddenly breached, a large head of water rushes downstream. Anyone who intends to breach a beaver dam should keep in mind that it can do considerable damage downstream; it is important to scout out any potential crossings downstream ahead of time. The danger of washout is even greater if there is a significant gradient downstream.

Successful Removal

As stated, if downstream stream crossings are a concern for removing a large head of water, the dam can typically be removed gradually. The best practice is to remove a section of the upper portion of the dam and then let the water flow out down to the level cleared overnight. The next day another part of the dam can be removed, which allows the entire impoundment of water behind the dam to drain more gradually, hopefully avoiding any downstream water damage. If the impoundment behind the dam is vast, greater care needs to be taken breaching the dam. When removing a large dam, great care should be taken only to remove just enough of the dam. This will relieve some of the water pressure over several days.

One thing to remember is the easiest way to minimize beaver problems in Northern Michigan is not to create an ideal habitat next to stream crossings. Of course, beaver are in the rodent family, and they are incredibly prolific. If a suitable food habitat is present near water, landowners will likely have decades of reoccurring problems. The only long-term solution to minimize beaver problems outside of trapping is converting nearshore stream habitat to conifer that beaver don’t utilize for food.

We specialize in the trapping and removal of these animals, so call us to set up an inspection today!

Eager Beavers

Beavers or Castor Canadensis are giant, primarily nocturnal mammals. They are brown and have a long, leathery flattened tail that acts as a rudder in the water. Their teeth are yellow and curved, which they use to gnaw through wood. If they do not chew, their teeth will continue to grow until they break through their skulls. Chewing is imperative to their survival! Beavers played a significant role in Michigan’s early history. The beaver and the coureur des bois who traded their pelts and helped the Great Lakes region grow. Since the decline of the fur trade in Michigan, property owners have experienced an uptick in beaver related damage to homes and bodies of water.

Beaver Anatomy

They are the largest rodent in North America and can weigh over 60 pounds. They are America’s largest rodent and the third-largest in the world, often reaching lengths of 3.5 ft! Their body is well adapted to their aquatic world but also allows them the ability to waddle about a forest habitat in search of trees to fell. Their tails are flat, broad, flexible, and very muscular; serving as a prop when gnawing down trees. Their tails also function as a four-way rudder, and their large hind feet are completely webbed, which helps to propel them along, as well as adds strength to their ability to pull logs underwater. Their delicate forepaws are incredibly dexterous and function so well as ‘hands’ that they can carry small branches, mud, and even stones. Beavers have amazing construction abilities, using their incisors to fell trees, and their forepaws to construct dams.

Habitat

Beavers spend most of their time foraging along the banks of rivers and streams, and this is where people most often spot them. However, if there are no rivers readily available, beavers have no issue taking up residence in any body of water with banks suitable for their survival. Beavers burrow into th3e banks to make their dens; the entrances to these burrows are in a portion of the bank that submerges and angles, so the living quarters can be deep inside the bank while still above the water level.

If a beaver builds its dam too close to the ground’s surface, it may not have enough overhead support and can collapse. In the winter, when food is scarce, predators such as bears and wolf can dig into the den if it is not far enough underground. The problem is that many banks are not suitable for this type of excavation. Beavers will address this problem by mounding sticks over the den and piling mud on top of the sticks. During winter, the mud freezes, creating a rugged and durable barrier that protects the den.

Dams and Lodges

They construct dams and lodges out of sticks, mud, and logs on the banks of rivers and other bodies of water. The primary function of a beaver dam is to provide deep, still water to protect against any predators as well as to float building materials and sustenance. They may build multiple in the same river! Beaver lodges serve as their shelter, and they fashion them out of the same materials as the dams. Each summer, mature beavers will mud the exterior of the lodge so that it will freeze providing warmth and protection. Throughout the years, their population has declined severely due to hunting for their fur and glands (which is where castor oil comes from). Their hunting season is in the fall, but special permits can be granted in the off-season.

We most often receive calls from property owners experiencing issues due to beaver damage of trees and flooding of waterways, which interferes with land uses. This can cause devastating structural and landscaping damage if untreated. We specialize in the trapping and removal of these animals, so call us to set up an inspection today!