critter problems

Our not-welcome resident woodchuck/groundhog is back - possibly burrowing under my front steps. I have found several holes, but not seen the critter recently. However, one of the mums on my steps was pruned rather severely, not by human hands (or teeth). Yesterday, I used the hose to flood both of the places where he had dug holes. They filled up with water and no angry, wet animal came out, so I guess he/she wasn't at home. I put more rocks down the latest hole, but now I've run out of rocks. I will have to go down to the creek and see if I can find more that are small enough for me to lug back up the hill, but large enough to discourage digging. This is an ongoing battle and even it I make my front yard less hospitable, there are 7 others front yards with nice digging areas in my row of townhouses. All the animal has to do is keep moving around. It's very frustrating.

Last night, Patty and I went for a walk and discovered that the development has another animal problem - this one more serious. We saw a number of small trees that had been cut down and several larger ones that were badly chewed low on the trunk. We knew it was beavers!! This was confirmed when we met another walker who told us there had been a dead beaver along Route 1, which is near us. The stream that meanders through our development goes over toward route 1. I think we have to call the Maryland Dept. of Natural Resources, as they have jurisdiction over the stream. Patty is going to talk to the management company and the homeowner's board members. We hope the DNR will come out and trap any remaining beavers. Meanwhile, our association will have to pay for tree replacement. I fear that the damaged trees will die, as several inches of bark and trunk were chewed off. We won't replace the trees from the wooded areas, but several trees were along a road where we are responsible for maintenance. At least the beavers haven't gotten as far as the stream behind my house. There is a natural pond there, where the stream has changed flow from storms over the past couple of years. So far, no beavers there.