Our neighborhood beavers can be entertaining, however, they can also cause notable damage to trees, shrubs, and shorelines. Multiple properties on the south end of the lake show signs of beaver damage from the 2022 fall season. The north end has also had beaver damage from time to time over the years.
- Limited and aggressive bark chewing on tree trunks
- Toppling of small and mid-size trees.
- Removal of shrub branches (e.g. red and yellow dogwoods)
- Burrowing on shorelines
What can you do to prevent beaver damage?
- Step One: Check out the MN DNR’s tips for beaver damage prevention:
https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/livingwith_wildlife/beaver/index.html - Step Two: Explore your shoreline and look for damage on trees and shrubs. Also, look for burrowing on the shoreline.
- Step Three: Determine whether you will take a proactive or a “wait and see” approach to beaver damage prevention.
Beavers are relentless in their pursuit of food and building materials for their lodges making it difficult to predict which properties will be impacted by beavers. There are at least three beaver lodges on the lake, so it pays to explore your shoreline from time to time and make use of the MN DNR’s tips as needed.
