Now that the leaves have fallen from the trees, I noticed that a beaver has built a den on one of my islands. This pond is located next to my house and I've owned this property for about 11 years now. I constructed the islands over the last few years when we had the droughts. Small trees have grown on the islands. Should I allow this beaver family to continue living in the pond, or should I give them a reason to leave next spring ? I enjoy wildlife but I don't want the beavers to dig in my pond dikes. Since they are in one of the islands, I don't think they 've dug into the dikes. Any suggestions ?

Good morning, It may be best to let the beavers remain on your property if you don't mind sharing a few trees with them and as long as they aren't causing damage. However, once a beaver colony is established and if they start causing major damage (flooding, taking down too many trees, etc.), it can be difficult to deal with the situation. The colony will have to be trapped and removed by a wildlife professional. The catch is that if the habitat is not modified, it will eventually attract other beavers to the area. These new animals may cause less (or more) damage than the beavers that are currently living on your property. I would recommend reading about beavers at: http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/wildlife/directory_show.cfm?species=beaver

The next step is to watch your property closely over the next few months. If you notice the beavers are starting to cause major damage, I would recommend contacting your local IDNR District Wildlife Biologist (DWB) for his advice about your situation. You can find the contact info. for DWBs on the 'Find a Wildlife Professional' page of this website. If you do not see signs of damage, then my suggestion is to just enjoy your new neighbors. If you have further questions about beavers please feel free to contact me.