Beavers are troublesome neighbors. They will destroy your property to make their homes if they have to. They especially love to build dams around water sources to protect their homes and make food transportation much easier. There are many regulations preventing the killing  of these animals, therefore, the only viable option of preventing the destruction caused by beavers remains to remove their dams.

This method has been successful in some cases as the beavers abandon their home after the dams are destroyed. In other cases, the beavers just rebuild stronger dams to replace the one removed. It’s hard to say how the beaver community will respond but the option of removing the dam should still be explored. There are some things to note when removing beaver dams, they include:

1. Remove dams in a controlled and humane manner as careless removals can lead to loss of lives and properties.
2. Inform property owners downstream of the removal as their property may likely be affected by the water once the dam is gone.
3. Remove debris and materials used to create the dams from the vicinity to prevent beavers from using the same materials to construct another dam.

Having these rules in mind, here are a few ways of removing dams that have worked for property owners in the past.

• Hand removal
  This is done manually with the use of shovels. This method may be the safest for any animals in the vicinity. Dams are cut through at particular points (either partially or totally) to let water flow through. Beavers are clever animals and may likely attempt to rebuild the part where the water is flowing from. Therefore, regular check-ups of the area are needed to ensure that the dam is not rebuilt.
• Use of explosives
  Although not accepted in many states, the removal of beaver dams with explosives, such as dynamite, has proved successful in some cases. As mentioned above, consideration should be given to downstream neighbors as sudden blasting and opening of waterways may cause flooding of downstream properties. Moreover, this method may cause the death of animals present in the vicinity.
• Backhoe excavator
  This is a type of mechanical excavator that may be mounted on a tractor and used to clear out the dam. A backhoe may be effective only in cases where the dam is easily accessible from the property. It may not be feasible if there is no way to get the equipment to the location. It is worth keeping in mind that dam removals are only quick fixes to the real problem.

Removing a dam without removing the beaver population will prove abortive as the beavers will most likely rebuild the dam, sometimes even starting that same day. So do not be surprised if you remove a dam and a couple of days later, it’s back. Removing the dam may be a temporary solution, but the real problem of the presence of beavers still remains.