poplar , aspen , willow , birch and maple — are also their primary building materials … which brings us to the trait for which beavers are both adored and hated : they are remarkable dam builders ! They ’ re happy to eat leaves and aquatic plants during the growing season , while also feasting on the inner bark of the trees they are taking down for their construction projects . Beavers create dams in order to deepen water , something they need for protection from predators , while at the same time encouraging the growth of the aquatic plants they feed on . First , they lay sticks and stones on the bottom of the stream , perpendicular to the flow . Next , they stack wooden poles at an angle and then weave in branches .
Dams come in all sizes , with the largest ever known found in Wood Buffalo National Park in northern Alberta , Canada . At almost one half mile long , it ’ s visible from space , and is the work of several generations of beavers . Dams also act as roadways for terrestrial animals crossing these watery places .
Beavers are well known for the lodges they create as their housing . These mud and stick constructions always have an underwater entrance , which safeguards them from predators , with an upward tunnel leading to their snug nests . In some regions , Trumpeter swans use the tops of beaver lodges to nest , taking advantage of the difficulty that predators have reaching them . On the rebound from near extinction , these big birds ( 26 pounds !) do not currently breed in Maryland , but some do winter here . Surprisingly beavers don ’ t always build lodges ; when they can find the right location , they will tunnel burrows into the lakeside or riverbank , always with the entrance underwater and an upward tunnel into their nest .
But it ’ s the beavers ’ dams that often get them into trouble with landowners . While creating ponds and wetlands benefits many species , it can certainly interfere with human activities . They can flood cropland and roads , and their appetite for trees means some deem them destructive pests . Though not always easy , there are nonlethal measures that can make it easier to live with beavers . Wrapping individual trees with metal fencing deters their chewing them . That can work well where the landowner has a limited number of specimen trees they want to protect , while allowing the beaver to use less desirable ones .
Occasionally , repeated removal of the beavers ’ dam , ( i . e ., dismantling it each time they rebuild it ) will encourage the animals to move to a different location — hopefully one that is far enough away to diminish the flooding problem they were causing ! Flow regulators can be placed into a dam . These are pipes inserted horizontally through the dam , allowing the pond to be partially drained . It ’ s more complex than it sounds , requiring additional steps like caging both ends of the pipe to prevent the beavers from simply plugging the pipe , and it needs occasional maintenance . These devices have clever names like beaver deceivers , beaver baffles or pond levelers . The aim is to lower the water level enough to alleviate problem flooding , while leaving the water deep enough that the beavers find it livable . Some states with frequent road flooding from eager beavers have found it more cost effective to hire experts to install and maintain these devices than to repeatedly remove the beavers and destroy their dams .
But when those aren ’ t the solution for problem beavers , Maryland does allow seasonal trapping by certified trappers . Outside of the trapping season , landowners must hire a Nuisance Wildlife
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