Beaver Foraging
Protect trees and vegetation from beaver browsing
Beavers eat a very wide range of vegetation. As a result, the impact that beavers have on vegetation varies greatly according to the vegetation species, its availability and its distance from a water body.
Beavers are more likely to feed on certain tree species including willows, poplars, birch, hazel and fruit trees (especially apple). They also use a broad variety of other trees including ash, alder, elm, oak, beech, maple and sycamore. In gardens, beavers have been reported to occasionally feed on, or cut, a range of other plants including wisteria, laurel, leylandii and rhododendron.
Trees in the immediate riparian zone may need protection if they are a) of high amenity or biodiversity value, b) veteran trees, c) crop trees or d) trees that may cause damage if felled.
Most native tree species and shrubs will coppice after beavers have fed on them, if regeneration is possible. Other herbivores such as deer and livestock may subsequently feed on the regrowth from beaver coppicing. Management of these other species, such as exclusion, may be required to reduce the foraging impact of beavers.
Where required, tree protection can be undertaken for individual trees or for a whole stand, such as fruit tree orchards. More details can be found below.
Different Methods of Tree Protection
- Wrap the tree (and its buttress roots if applicable) with wire-mesh at least 0.9m high leaving 15cm space between the mesh and the trunk for the tree to grow.
- Pin the mesh wrap into the ground.
- Test the wrap to make sure it’s secure.
- Mesh size < 5cm x 5cm.
- Flexible wire such as ‘chicken mesh’ should be avoided as it is not robust enough.
- See NatureScot’s practical guide.
Stand Protection
- It may be more cost-effective to fence beavers out of a stand of trees.
- Fencing should be ~1.2m in height and include a 0.9m mesh skirt, facing the water, to prevent beavers from gaining access by digging under the fence.
- Mesh size <10cm x 10cm will prevent beaver kits from entering.
- Check the protocols for fencing within a flood zone.
Tree Painting
- Apply an anti-game paint to the bark from the base of the trunk to the a height of at least 0.9m, including buttress roots where they exist.
- This approach may not be 100% effective as its success varies depending on the paint application (more difficult on rough bark) and the level of beaver motivation.
- Any measures taken to protect trees using this method should ensure no harm to the environment.
Tips and Additional Considerations
Beavers are likely to feed on the next available, unprotected tree. Before you start implementing a protection measure, think strategically about which trees you want to protect, whether the species if likely to be impacted by beavers, and which trees you might be willing to allow beavers to feed on.
An alternative/complementary method of protection should involve the establishment of an unfenced, sacrificial riparian buffer strip of native willow situated beside the water’s edge. Some dominant species from the main woodland should also be planted in this strip to divert beavers from foraging on the trees in the actual woodland you want to protect.
- Fast-growing, regenerative, flood-tolerant species should be planted within the riparian zone, but at least 10 m from the water’s edge, at a higher stocking density. These can include a mix of willow, aspen, birch, rowan and smaller proportions of alder.
Monitoring of beaver impacts should be incorporated into existing inspections for other herbivore impacts (deer, squirrel, hare etc). Beaver-deer interactions should also be monitored.
- Remove any moss or sediment and let the trunk dry before painting, unless you are in a protected site where the moss and lichens are features of interest. In that instance employ other measures.
Licensing in Each Country
In Scotland
As of 1st May 2019 beavers are recognised as a European Protected Species in Scotland.
Protecting trees and vegetation from beaver browsing does not require a licence under the current management framework.
If you own or manage land that is affected by beaver browsing visit NatureScot’s website.
In England
Protecting trees and vegetation from beaver browsing does not require a licence under the current management framework but may require other permits or consents from other bodies.
In Wales
Beavers are not currently a protected species in Wales.
If you own or manage land that is affected by beaver browsing contact the Welsh Beaver Project for support on beaver.afanc@
Other Management Techniques
Mitigate Beaver Impacts
Choose from a range of well-established mitigation and management techniques
