Sorry friends of wildlife but I have now declared war on the beaver and his friends and family. IT chopped down one of my prized Japanese Maples last night and I just can't take anymore. I had hoped IT had found a home and a way to peacefully coexist with the HUMANS but nooooo....he had to cross the street. Circle the wagons, put on the coffee, it's gonna be a long battle! -Leslie
Yes! The beavers must go. Count me in.
They chewed a foot-and-a-half of bark off my dogwood and mowed down all of my blackberry bushes! -Andy
Are there humane alternatives to helping him find his way? -Heather
I'm online looking right now. -Leslie
Leslie,
Appreciate your frustration. Have you gotten the City of Chamblee Animal Control involved? Not meaning to ask a silly question for I assume you have already done this.
Tom
I got the city's animal control as well as public works and the chief of police involved. Catching a beaver is a job for professionally trained wildlife specialists. There are none employed by the city. -Leslie
Leslie, When I inquired about catching the coyote/s in the 'hood I was basically told that they couldn't catch a beaver so what made me think they could get a coyote? I wish you good fortune on your great quest. Maybe you can introduce the beaver and coyote and let nature take it's course... -Cordelia
Best idea yet Cordelia. Thanks. -Leslie
I'm with you. They are out of control. Karen has lost at least 2 maples and I don't know what else. They took a maple from the corner of plantation and commander - right next to the road by the pool. They/IT took most of my dwarf japanese maple by the garage and have probably caused enough damage to 2 of my kwasan cherry trees to kill them - pulled the bark off. Also chewed on my red maple in the front yard. They also like hydrangeas, sweet shrub, azaleas, ferns, ......-Allison
Hi Leslie-
As a weekend gardener, I do understand your frustration but I hope you'll reconsider how you deal with the beaver(s). With the boon building that has occurred all around us, HH is one of the last refuges they have. Japanese maples are expensive indeed, but the little guys have nowhere else to go.
Thanks!
Steve
Hi Steve,
How 'bout we send them all to your yard?
Leslie
Sure no problem! With the drought I've lost so many plants it wouldn't bother me a bit, and I'd feel good about my priorities. Ship em over! I'll even feed the lil buggers -Steve
Wish I could make that happen. Think they'd follow a trail of wood chips? Last year when the mammalian wood chippers got started mowing the japanese magnolias down in HH Park I convinced the City of Chamblee to hire a trapper who agreed to relocate it/them to one of my landscape clients' property on Lake Allatoona. We spent $600 and they never caught the beaver. You know why? It is next to impossible to trap a beaver! They're very smart, and high strung. Even if you catch one in a trap, it will probably die of a heart attack en route to it's new home. The trapper didn't tell me that until after we'd paid him for 3 weeks and nada. Needless to say, the City just laughed at me when I asked again. So what to do? Tonight I will protect all I can on my property with wire fencing....in the long run the beaver/s have to go. I'm not the only one who thinks so either. IT has been making the rounds of other properties along the creeks. All kidding aside, we do need a solution. -Leslie
I'm sorry, but did you actually catch IT tearing down your tree on your Beaver Cam? I mean, you can't just go around accusing innocent beavers. Maybe you should call the CPD and have them come out to dust for prints. -Rebecca
There are teeth marks on the tree trunk and the branches with leaves are in the creek, exactly where the beaver was dumping his take last year and in the same manner. The evidence speaks for itself. You must all understand, last year I took up for this beaver, I believe in live and let live. I practice it daily. I grow bronze fennel, passionflower and spicebush FOR the caterpillars that feed on those plants every year. I feed the birds and encourage the lizards to live in my yard. But if a coyote killed your dog or a raccoon threatened your kid, wouldn't you take steps to protect yours? (And, by the way, I let the raccoons eat the peaches from my trees without going after them). There is a line. Mine has been crossed. I have done my part to find other means.... so far nothing has worked. -Leslie
Maybe we should get a group together and go downstream (or is it upstream?). My husband, John, and I have been down it before with Kay’s clean-up crews in the past. I’m up for it. If the county will do it great, but with the cutbacks I wouldn’t bet on it. -Karen
I would love to walk the creek again. It's alot of fun to me. However that beaver probably lives under the banks where it is undercut at the Longview/Admiral intersection at HH Park, although Leslie F. said she thought he had taken up residence in the ravine in her backyard some months ago. But I will take you up on your offer. Taste of Chamblee is Saturday and I have volunteered to pour wine but I could go Sunday or any other day of your choice. Anyone else up for it? Heather, how about you? -Leslie
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