Beaver Damage
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Fresh beaver damage, maybe 1 week old
Most people are unaware that we have a healthy population of beavers in Union County. Beavers are native to Union County, and their population across North Carolina is on the rise. They are beneficial to the ecosystem by creating wetland habitats, which are increasingly rare as most wetlands have been lost to land-use change (development, agriculture, etc.). However, beavers can also be destructive by causing unwanted flooding.
Another way beavers can be destructive is by damaging high-value trees in yards that abut ponds, lakes, creeks, or rivers. Beavers are herbivores, and their diet primarily consists of leaves, woody stems, and aquatic plants. They also eat the inner bark of trees, known as cambium, which is highly nutritious. Beavers have continuously growing teeth, and they need to chew on wood to keep them from growing too long and sharp. This chewing also helps to wear down the teeth, keeping them at a manageable size for eating and other activities. And felling entire trees grants them access to the canopy of the tree, so they can eat the leaves and smaller woody stems.
Fresh beaver damage on top of older damage
If you have valuable urban trees/yard trees near a body of water, even a smaller creek, you might consider protecting them from beavers by wrapping the trunks in a cage made of metal wire 3-4 feet in height. The cage needs to be securely anchored to the ground, as they are good diggers and may attempt to dig under the cage. Beavers can chew through chicken wire, so choose a sturdier wire fencing product.
The tree in the foreground shows fresh beaver damage, while the tree in the background shows very old beaver damage
This website offers advice on metal wire cages and alternatives, including a mixture of paint and sand. They also encourage you to plant alternative food sources for the beavers, such as stakes of willow, cottonwood, and dogwood that naturally occur in low wet areas and help stabilize creek banks. Project Beaver