Beavers are one of the worst animals for the environment and if you’ve found a few on your backyard garden or property, getting rid of them before they cause too much damage to trees and the general landscape could be apt.

This article answers the question “Can a Hedgehog Kill a Beaver” by revealing the likely results of physical confrontations between the two animals in the wild and whether one or both of them may survive or vice versa.

Can a Hedgehog Kill a Beaver?

Hedgehogs can kill beavers due to their sharp quills or spines that may pierce through their bodies causing infection and eventual death. Hedgehogs often coat their spines with saliva to increase the risks of infections against predators via physical contact with their quills.

If you’ve noticed a troublesome beaver on your property, wild hedgehogs that spend time in and out can take care of them at the right time. You may also set up traps or even stake them out with firearms or other weapons.

Why You Don’t Want Beavers On Your Property

Beavers can be terrible for your land in numerous ways. Firstly, they have excessive appetites which make them eat trees and shrubs on your property. It is not uncommon for carefully planted trees in your backyard garden to fall from constant beaver attacks.

It can be a devastating sight to watch vital trees under consistent attack by beavers in your absence. The results can be catastrophic for the environment and defeat your carefully planned gardening efforts.

Beavers have a preference for swimming toward their food sources and may build dams down and upstream to provide easy access. They abandon these dams when specific areas run out of their food and typically move to new areas.

Eventually, these abandoned dams collapse causing devastation to everything in their path including downstream habitats and structures. Erosion and major environmental damage are the usual results of these collapsed dams which is why Beavers should be eradicated from your backyard gardens as quickly as possible.

Are Hedgehogs Venomous?

Hedgehogs are not venomous and do not produce poisons that can kill predators or aggressors. However, they can be formidable opponents due to the sharp spines on their bodies which may cause significant injuries during physical confrontations.

They’re known for coating the spines with saliva to increase the risk of infections via physical contact. Besides, hedgehogs also rely on venom from other animals as a line of defense against predators.

For instance, they may coat their spines with venom after chewing the skin of poisonous toads to ward off predators. Physical contact with the poisoned spines can kill common predators like birds, wild ferrets, foxes, mongooses, and wolves.

What Will Kill A Hedgehog?

Hedgehogs are easy targets for various predators due to their small physical sizes and non-aggressive temperaments. Here are a few animals that actively hunt wild hedgehogs in their natural habitats.

Canines

Hedgehogs are common prey for wild canines like foxes, jackals, and even domesticated dogs. Their speed and aggression are often too much for hedgehogs to handle. Hedgehogs may curl into a spiky ball to defend themselves but dogs often succeed in forcing them back open by wedging their noses into the area where the curled hedgehog’s coats meet. (Source)

Mongooses

Mongooses can be masters of creative prey tactics to eat even wilder animals like cobras. They use Shock and Awe tactics to defeat the hedgehog’s defenses by picking up the smaller animal and throwing it against hard surfaces such as tree barks.

This startles hedgehogs so much that they uncurl from their balls, giving full access to the predator to attack its softer underbelly killing it in the process.

Mustelids

Hedgehogs in Australia and New Zealand typically have to deal with Mustelid attacks because they’re one of their most active predators. Like other members of the ferret family, hedgehogs are common prey for Mustelids.

Ferrets in several areas such as Greece rely on hedgehogs as their main source of food.

Owls

Owls are another common predator for hedgehogs especially large species like the Eurasian Eagle Owl. Unlike other predators that may hiss or make alerting sounds to spook hedgehogs, these owl species are noted for hunting silently at night.

This increases the chances of successfully attacking hedgehogs during the night since both animals are nocturnal.

How Do You Kill A Beaver?

Lethal snap traps are one of the best ways to kill beavers that may be wreaking havoc in your backyard garden. These traps are designed like those used for trapping and killing small rodents like mice and rats.

You’ll have to get creative when laying these traps to increase the chances of successfully trapping and ridding your property of these destructive semi-aquatic rodents. One of the best areas to lay these traps is the main beaver walkway on your property.

You may have to ensure other animals do not fall victim to the traps especially when you have tasty baits inside them.

What Animal Kills Beavers?

Beavers are common prey for several large animals including hawks, coyotes, bears, and mountain lions. Lynx, eagles, wolverines, and wolves are additional animals that typically target beavers in their natural habitats.

What Are Beavers Afraid of?

Beavers are scared of repellents featuring natural predator urine scents like snakes, coyotes, and foxes. Ammonia, mothballs, and garlic are additional repellents that can ward off beavers from your garden or property.

Will a Bobcat Eat a Beaver?

Bobcats are a major predator of beavers in the wild. They typically attack and eat them during the night since the rodents are nocturnal.

Conclusion: Can a Hedgehog Kill a Beaver?

The sharp quills on the bodies of hedgehogs can kill beavers during physical confrontations. While the quills may not venomous, piercing through the beaver’s body can result in physical injuries that may turn fatal.

Hedgehogs may cover their sharp spines with saliva or venom from other creatures such as poisonous toads to kill predators that may launch attacks against them.