Agricultural Pests & Nuisances

Beaver County will investigate the coyote complaints of livestock producers located within the County. Proof of predation must be obtained before authorizing issuance of control materials.

Complaints of predation of livestock by all other wild predators, such as wolves, foxes, and cougars are to be directed to the local office of Alberta Fish and Wildlife office. Complaints of livestock predation and other problems by domestic dogs should be directed to the local RCMP office.

Please call 780-663-3730 to speak to the Agricultural Services Department for more information or for a predation investigation.

Beaver County will provide skunk traps for short term use. Skunk trap requests can be made through the Agricultural Services Department at 780-663-3730

Traps are provided on a first come first served basis with a $100 deposit.

Beaver County carries out beaver control and flood management activities to ensure the integrity of municipal infrastructure, in accordance with the current policy.

For more info on water management, please see our Water and Drainage Management page.

Our Commitment:

• Prevent damage to the municipal road network (i.e. roads, culverts and bridges) to ensure resident safety

Safety is a Priority

Beaver County may use various methods to control beaver activity, including trapping and dam removal (i.e. removal with hand tools, machinery).

For your safety and ours, please do not approach any County staff or his/her vehicle at any time during these activities - doing so could put you at risk for serious injury and even death.

If you have questions or concerns about the current beaver or other pest control activities in your area, please contact Jonathan Culbert, Agricultural Fieldman at 780-663-3730.

You may also contact the Agricultural Fieldman to submit a beaver-related complaint, regarding municipal infrastructure, so a proper investigation can be conducted.

Beaver County's Beaver Control Incentive Program

This program encourages landowners to participate in mitigation measures on private land through an incentive for beaver control.

If you are interested in the program:

1. You must notify the County of all the locations that you are removing beavers from PRIOR to submitting the tails.
   • This can be done by calling the office or sending an email to me once you know the locations that you will be trapping on.
2. The Beaver Control Incentive Program form is used when the tails are being submitted.
3. The Beaver Control Incentive Program – Landowner Form must be signed by the landowner of the property, if they wish for you to receive payment for the tails.
4. Call Jonathan Culbert at 780-663-3730 to arrange a time for drop off.
   • Tails must be frozen when submitting.
   • Bring in the entire tail so that it can marked.
   • Beaver tails that are less than 7.62 centimeters (3 inches) in length will not be accepted for payment.
5. All regulations regarding hunting and trapping must be followed.
6. Payment is $20/tail: No cash or cheque will be given out at the time that beaver tails are dropped off. Payment information will need to be signed by the person designated to receive the funds and by the Agricultural Fieldman before payment will be processed.
   • Payment will be via cheque or EFT following the County’s Policy and Administrative Procedures for Payment of Account.
7. The program will be run year-round or until the budget has been used for the program.

Again, in order to drop off tails for payment, please call Jonathan Culbert at 780-663-3730 to arrange a drop off time and submit the appropriate paperwork.

Interested in learning the status of insect pests in the province such as Wheat Midge, Bertha Armyworms, Grasshoppers and Wheat Stem Sawfly? Why not check out the Alberta Insect Pest Monitoring Network website developed by Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development.

The Network provides timely information on:

• insect forecast maps
• what to scout for
• economic thresholds
• and a pesticide selector

Click here to access the Alberta Insect Pest Monitoring Network.

To ensure local pest populations are accurate, Beaver County, in partnership with Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation, participates in the sampling of various insect species. The collected data is then compiled and incorporated into the Insect Pest Monitoring Network.

Beaver County's Agricultural Service Board strives to prevent Clubroot from establishing and spreading within the County, and to control any existing infestations. Currently, the County conducts field surveys to detect infestations as per Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation surveying protocols. Proper sanitation practices are used while County employees are sampling fields.

Beaver County also encourages producers to sample their own fields. Sampling tips may be found at www.clubroot.ca. With early detection, growers, custom operators, and others who visit the field can take steps to contain the spores and protect their own fields and those of their neighbours.

If Clubroot is found or suspected while sampling, please contact the Agricultural Services Department at 780-663-3730.