How to Remove Beavers From Ponds

Removing beavers from a pond or property is especially challenging and requires a wise plan of action. Beaver will avoid poorly set traps, for example, making it a hassle for a homeowner to ensnare the wild animal. And hunting beaver does not guarantee the pests won't return. Without action, beaver will feed on trout and reduce the fish population of a stream or pond. Employ several removal methods simultaneously -- involving the help of others -- to get rid of beavers once and for all.

Work gloves

Dust mask

Safety glasses

Heavy gauge wire mesh

Industrial staple gun

Industrial staples

Tar paper

Ropel animal repellent

Spray bottle

Synthetic bristle brush

30-ft wire mesh with 6-inch by 6-inch squares

2-inch by 4-inch wood posts (4)

80-grit sandpaper

Sander

Weatherproof sealer

Sledgehammer

Remove any wood on which beaver naturally gnaw. Leave the property with only pine or very old existing trees. Plant only pine trees on the property surrounding a pond. Remove or avoid planting willow, poplar, alder and birch trees. Beavers do not like pine or old trees, although the latter are common for dam building.

Protect existing pond trees from being gnawed. Wrap and secure 3-foot tall heavy wire mesh around the base of all trees, or staple tacky tar paper to trunks instead. Pour liquid Ropel animal repellent into a spray bottle. Spray tree trunks with the repellent -- a bitter-tasting agent. According to the Wisconsin Bureau of Wildlife Management, one bottle of Ropel will saturate the trunks of 9-foot tall trees for up to one acre. Follow Ropel directions for reapplication.

Block pond culverts. Construct a U-shaped barrier around the entrance of the culvert using wood posts and heavy wire mesh. Cut each of the four 2-inch by 4-inch posts to 39 inches high. Sand each post with 80-grit paper, and lacquer the posts with waterproof sealer. Evenly space the posts and staple 30-feet of heavy wire mesh fit with 6-inch by 6-inch square holes. Hammer the posts into the ground -- 36 inches in front of the culvert -- to prevent beavers from building dams. A culvert is hollow metal tubing used for storm drains.

Contact your state Bureau of Wildlife Management (BWM). Tell an administrator about your beaver problem, and ask for helpful information. The BWM will provide you with up-to-date information about any trapping and hunting licensing laws, brochures with removal advice, and contact information for professional beaver control services.

Hire a professional beaver removal service. Beaver removal personnel are equipped with the licenses needed to apply specialized poisons or repellents and the wherewithal to successfully trap the animals. Many professional beaver services will not only trap the animals, but move them off of the premises for relocation or euthanasia.