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Beavers can be incredibly difficult to live alongside of. My parents have 100+ acres of bush in central Alberta. When they bought the property it was logged ou
by cmrdporcupine 2mo ago
Beavers can be incredibly difficult to live alongside of.
My parents have 100+ acres of bush in central Alberta. When they bought the property it was logged out and mostly in a bad abused state and mostly dry. Over a few years, beavers moved in and transformed a formerly semi-marshy spot into a full pond. And then another. And another.
Eventually though, without a lot of predators around (there's some skittish bears, coyotes, that's it) they begin to overpopulate. And any efforts to keep the water level at a certain point starts to get tricky. In order to keep access to some parts of the property my dad ended up having to put in some sneaky culverts with various tricks to stop them from plugging them. (I forget, but he eventually figured out a beaverproof trick).
Even then, every few years the need to "remove" some of the beavers, because they just get to be too many, they run out of poplars near their lodge and start to cause more problems for downstream and upstream neighbours.
They've done amazing things for the property. But when my parents pass it's going to be hard to maintain this property with the beavers actively trying to transform it constantly.
- cogogo 2mo agoBusy beaver problem?
- xandrius 2mo agoThrow in some wolves and create a brand new set of problems :)
- throwway120385 2mo agoThat's the beauty of it. When wintertime rolls around they simply freeze to death.
- dguest 2mo agohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuiK7jcC1fY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuiK7jcC1fY
- arthurbrown 2mo agoWhat are the problems actually? That they have improved water retention and soil hydration?
- jpollock 2mo agoThey will continue to breed, expanding territory unless there are predators. When they come across a culvert (or bridge), they will block it, eventually overtopping roads and washing them out.
- arthurbrown 2mo agoThanks for the good faith reply. I can see that this would require regular maintenance. It is interesting that we see our infrastructure as 'valid' or correct, but the work these engineers (beavers) put in as a nuisance. In an ideal world, the benefits to local biodiversity and ecosystem health should be balanced with the cost of relocating roads when necessary.
- destitude 2mo agoThere are many ways to prevent blockage of culverts and even control the water level behind beaver dams it's just that people don't want to bother, are ignorant, or just don't care.
- cmrdporcupine 2mo agoYou'd be amazed at how ingenious they are. It's a constant war at my parent's place to stop them from blocking the culverts. It drives beavers absolutely mad to hear the sound of free flowing water from an area they've colonized. They will work themselves into a fit trying to plug it up. My dad is a crazy old German retired machinist/tool&die maker. I think he enjoys the challenge. Not everyone would.
- giardini 2mo agoIs there no more demand for beaver pelt and/or meat? I've heard the tail is particularly tasty and easy to skin and cook.
- parodysbird 2mo agoWhy are you wanting transform the beavers property?
- tosapple 2mo agowhat's wrong with it not reverting to nature when they pass? people put flowers on loved ones graves.
- cmrdporcupine 2mo agofloods roads, buildings, neighbour's properties. they are very persistent buggers and breed like... rodents
- tosapple 2mo agoI understand the regulation of beavers and predators, I was just lightly commenting about nature returning in a picturesque balance. such a picture is just a snapshot of a violent state machine however.