Unfortunately, some landowners aren?EUR??,,????'???t too happy. Local Missouri Department of Conservation officials said though they’ve been dealing with beaver backlash for many years, the population is increasing. Plus, Lake Saint Louis’ Tree City USA title and pleasant waterfront scene has made it a beaver capital.

“They are so destructive and there’s not a whole lot of trapping going on,” said Tom Miester, urban wildlife damage biologist at Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center in Kirkwood. “There also aren’t too many predators.?EUR??,,????'??

Beavers are best known for building dams in rivers and streams. The ponds created from such dams help to isolate their homes, created from branches and mud. However, beaver dams can cause flooding, significantly damaging nearby property. Young and mature trees also lie in a beaver’s destructive path.

When Karl Collida, a St. Luis resident, moved to a home on the lake, he heard rumors that neighboring homes had beaver problems. At first he didn’t think much of it, but later started seeing bark on the ground. In April 2006, the problem worsened. Beavers not only were close to destroying three large trees, but also developed a taste for his bushes. “I thought some kids were cutting the branches off, which is a weird kind of vandalism,” Collida said, laughing.

However, there are several options. If a beaver is damaging property, landowners have the right to trap it at any time during the year, but must first seek permission from the Missouri Department of Conservation, which will assess the problem and educate the landowner how to trap them, loaning them the trap. It is also advised that residents also may call a trapper to take care of their problem.