Sustainable Tree Care Practices For Beaverton Homeowners
Beaver dams can create significant tree loss along shorelines. When beavers build their homes and habitats in trees, they often cut down trees to create their habitat.
This can lead to flooding if the trees that protect the land are removed. As well, when beavers dam a stream or river, the water level may rise and lead to flooding as well.
Removing these pesky animals is not a simple task. Beavers are wild animals and protected in most states, including Washington. Professionals that assist with nuisance wildlife removal charge fees based on time spent removing the animal(s).
There are ways to prevent tree loss from beaver dams without having to remove the animal, however. These include raising the shoreline with gravel or rocks and installing wire mesh under the surface of the water to prevent sinking.
Know what to look for
Most people are familiar with the damage that beavers can cause, but it can be hard to know when they are active in your area.
If there is an abundance of trees with chewed down bases and tall, vertical cut marks, this is a strong indication of beaver activity. You may also see piles of mud and tree branches underneath bridges or dams that were built by beavers.
If you notice these signs, it is important to keep an eye on your trees for structural damage caused by the rodents’ activities. Damaged trees should also be removed as soon as possible to prevent infestation by insects and disease.
Beavers typically prefer willow, aspen, and cottonwood trees, but they will take birch and maple if there are no other options. They also like taller trees, so if you have smaller ornamental trees in your yard, they may not interest the beavers.
Prepare your tree for winter
Once you are done removing dead and diseased wood, it is time to consider how to prepare your tree for winter. If you have been careful, your tree will have plenty of reserves to get through winter without much difficulty.
You can begin by pruning any extra branches that might break due to ice or heavy snow. Also, prune any branches that point downward as these can be susceptible to water injury due to melting ice or snow runoff.
It is also a good time to invest in some protective devices such as tree guards or burlap sacks. These help prevent potential damage from snow and ice buildup, which can lead to potential tree health issues in the spring.
Finally, if there is space available, add some fresh mulch around the base of the tree to help protect against frost heaving in the spring.
Reduce potential damage
If you have been in contact with a beaver, you should do your best to reduce potential damage. If a beaver has built a dam near your property, there is not much you can do besides watching for any flooding or water level changes.
If a beaver has gnawed on tree branches or trunk, removing the tree is also not much that can be done. Since they are very persistent and will continue to gnaw until the tree is downed, it is best to just let them have it.
They will eventually run out of resources and move on to another tree. Once this happens, you can have the tree removed if needed.
Beavers are known to gnaw on different types of trees depending on what they need. When it comes to protecting your trees, making sure all are non-toxic is the best way to prevent damage from beavers.
Know how to respond if a tree falls
If a tree falls in your backyard and you cannot manage it safely, then it is time to call in the experts. Tree care experts have the knowledge and tools to remove any kind of tree.
There are two ways that trees can be removed: professionally and deliberately.
When professionals remove a tree, they use machinery and expertise to do so safely. They can also work with trees that are too difficult for homeowners to manage.
Removing a tree deliberately means cutting off the roots or trunk so that it falls in a certain direction. This is an easy way to get rid of a tree, but can be dangerous for anyone underneath it.
Both of these methods require experience and knowledge to do correctly.
Keep your trees healthy
A key part of tree care is maintaining the health of your trees. This includes monitoring trees for diseases and pests, keeping trees well watered, and pruning trees as needed.
In the case of beaver activity, careful observation is required. If beavers are chewing on trees, then they need to be hydrated. It is advised to water your trees early in the morning before it heats up or late in the day when it is cooler.
If there is evidence of rodent damage such as chewed roots or dead stems or branches, then planting new trees is advised. Beavers can drown newly planted plants so having a plan of when to plant and relocate tree species is important.
For prevention against future infestations, it is recommended to use mesh sacks instead of plastic to contain soil when planting new trees.
Maintain the appropriate height limit
A height limit is the maximum distance between the ground and a tree’s canopy. This is determined by the rate at which a tree can grow new cells in its trunk and uppermost branches.
There are two types of height limits: structural and natural. Structural height limit is the maximum height at which a tree can be pruned to avoid damage to structures, like power lines or rooftops. Natural height limit is the maximum height a tree can be without damaging its ability to grow and thrive.
It is important to maintain these limits in order to keep your tree healthy. If trees are pruned too low, they may die due to lack of water and nutrients, or they may become susceptible to disease or insect infestation.
Beaverton residents should maintain the structural height limit at thirty feet above the ground level, and the natural height limit at eighty feet above the ground level.
Do not plant incompatible trees together
When planting trees, it is important to note that tree species should not be planted together. Different species of trees require different care practices.
For example, some trees are more drought-tolerant than others. Planting a tree that requires a lot of water beside a tree that does not will cause one to die sooner or later.
This is because the more water the non-drought tolerant tree requires, the more it will need to thrive. When there is a drought and the soil does not have enough water, the tree will die because of this lack of necessary hydration.
Diversity in tree species also prevents parasitic infections from one plant to another. Having all the same type of trees makes it easier for an infection to spread to all the trees due to having similar defenses.
Plant in a safe place
A safe place to plant trees and shrubs is one that shields them from woodcutters, beavers, and the like.
Trees should be planted at least 30 feet from the house and any structures (fence posts, decks, etc.) that may be damaged by tree roots. Plant them at least 15 feet away from telephone and electric poles to avoid cutting into the tree root system when installing these fixtures.
Shrubs should also be planted at least 15 feet away from buildings and structures to prevent damage due to drought or over-watering. These plants need adequate water, so making sure they are watered properly is important!
Beavers can wreak havoc on trees and plants in your yard. There are several ways to prevent these rodents from damaging your trees: install a metal fence around the tree; use wire mesh on the bottom of the planting hole; or put a grape trap inside the hole before planting the tree.
