How to make your property uninviting

  • plant trees and vegetation that beavers don’t like, such as elderberry, ninebark and twinberry
  • wrap individual trees in metre-high, galvanized welded wire fencing, hardware cloth or multiple layers of chicken wire
  • paint tree trunks with a sand and paint mix (120 millilitres of masonry-grade sand per litre of latex paint) to protect trees from beaver damage
  • protect large areas by installing 1.5-metre high field fencing and keep the bottom of the fence flush to the ground to prevent beavers from entering underneath
  • protect areas along river and stream banks with electric fencing

How to remove beaver dams

Destroying a dam should only be considered after other techniques have been tried.

If dam removal is necessary:

  • exercise extreme caution to prevent downstream flooding, damage to natural habitats and property damage
  • check with Fisheries and Oceans Canada to avoid causing serious harm to fish and fish habitat by following best practices
  • you may be held liable for any property damage that occurs downstream

How to prevent flooding

Contact your local Ministry of Natural Resources office for advice on a variety of techniques to control the level of water behind a dam.

Lethal action

  • as a last resort, a farmer may humanely kill or trap beavers that are damaging or about to damage their farm property
  • if you are using a firearm, you must follow certain regulations and local bylaws
  • a landowner may hire an agent, including a trapper, to act on their behalf.