Beaver Natural Diet – Humane Wildlife Removal

What Is a Beaver’s Natural Diet?

It seems like beavers will eat anything, and that’s mostly true. They are herbivores, so you don’t need to fear man-eating beavers. Though with their constantly growing teeth, they can appear quite threatening.

Beavers not only eat local vegetation as part of their natural diet, but they use the same vegetation to build their dams and lodges. They may cut down a lot of trees, but they make good use of it all. Interestingly, they are one of the few animals that can digest cellulose which is why they have no problem taking down a few trees to snack on.

What Trees Do Beavers Eat?

Beavers are found all across the US, besides particularly dry regions. A beaver’s natural diet consists of whatever is found locally. It can’t be pinpointed to just a few trees or plants. Animals also have individual personalities, so one might like the taste of a particular wood while another doesn’t.

They are known to eat the leaves, bark, and roots of several common trees such as poplars, maples, and willows. Outside of the generic variety, they also enjoy cherry trees, alders, and aspens. A beaver’s natural diet is a seemingly endless list of vegetation.

However, if your goal is to get rid of beavers, then you should pay attention to what trees have been felled or chewed on. Your local beavers might prefer a specific tree, so removing them or fencing them can help ward off the beavers.

What Else Do Beavers Eat?

Beavers also eat aquatic plants, grasses, and mosses. These types are eaten less often and it may be a seasonal issue, as beavers don’t hibernate they need to eat year-round. Grasses and mosses are also used by beavers in combination with mud to glue their dams together. They are clever rodents.

Grasses and mosses won’t make good bait if you’re trying to trap a beaver. Even though they are part of the beaver’s natural diet, they aren’t drawn to it. It’s best to use scented wood like cedar (if it’s local).

These creatures certainly make use of their constantly growing teeth. A beaver’s natural diet is made by chomping, biting, and chewing away at any and all local vegetation.