Summer is the time for beach trips and ice cream, but, for beavers, it’s a great time to bring down some trees and build dams on your property – and cause you a bunch of headaches.

Guilford County Soil and Water Conservation District officials want county residents to know about a program that can help.

The District offers a Beaver Assistance Management Program – that is, a collaborative program meant to help Guilford County residents and landowners who have a beaver problem.

The program, which helps mitigate issues caused by the dam-building, tree destroying creatures on both private and public lands, offers access to assistance at a reduced rate.

Initial damage assessments are free and, after that, there’s a fee.

Landholders are likely to pay $25 per site visit after the initial assessment and you can get a dam removed for the low, low price of only $125 for each dam.

It can take the beaver management specialists multiple visits to resolve the problem.  The fix can take a month or so depending on the nature of the beaver menace.

If you want more information about the Beaver Management Assistance Program you can call 336-641-2440 and be connected with a wildlife specialist.

The beaver assistance program’s stated goal is to “address specific beaver damage problems rather than to eliminate beavers from North Carolina.”

It is mainly operated by USDA Wildlife Services through cooperative agreements with state and local bodies, such as a county’s conservation district board.

Guilford County residents and landowners can also receive free advice and training on beaver management if they want to deal with the pesky animals mano a mano.