Fence the beavers out and keep your culverts clear, permanently.
How it works:
The shape of a trapezoidal fence forces beavers to build their dam ever farther from the sound of running water. This lowers their dam building stimulus, so the more they work, the less motivated they become. Think Monday morning when the coffee maker is broken…
For extra security, the addition of a pond leveler flowing through the culvert fence makes the design even more robust.
Proven Effective
Non-lethal management strategies offer unbeatable success rates compared to trapping. Data below has been compiled over 20 years, and includes devices that are still functioning today.
This chart is from an earlier report done by the Humane Society of Connecticut in 2006, looking at non-lethal management success rates.
Save money and hassle year after year
This chart is from 14 sites in Virginia that installed devices to deal with ongoing beaver problems. Beaver damage repair costs dropped to zero, total costs dropped 85%, and cost efficiency increased from $0.39:1 to $8.37:1.
Low maintenance
Average of one hour per year
Devices are made of very robust materials, with no moving parts and a streamlined profile to ensure low maintenance requirements. Mike Callahan of Beaver Solutions, with 1500+ installs, averages 1 hour per device per year.
This photo is from the Cal Trans install, after 10 months and an El Niño winter. I did the maintenance in flip-flops and shorts, and it took me 5 minutes. The debris removed could easily have fit in a shoebox. Devices are easy to clean even with larger amounts of debris.
Long-term solution
The service life of all materials used in construction of these devices should exceed 20 years under normal conditions. I use ADS pipe, and they’ve been give a 100-year rating by the state of Florida for their 18″-48″ pipe. The smaller diameter pipe used in these devices is made the same way, of the same material.
Here’s a chart for zinc coated steel—the material the cages are made of. Now, it’s not specific to underwater, but should give you some idea of how tough the stuff is. And check out the asterisk—the vertical axis is time to 5% rusting.
