So I’m pretty green to the water side of trapping so bear with me
I caught 19 beaver this year and tonight number 19 is covered in beaver flees
How do you guys deal with these
I couldn’t find anything in the archives about it

They won’t do anything just skin , flesh and board it they’ll die off and not bother anything they’re not like a regular flea I believe they just eat the dried skin off the beaver

I have found that when you get old enough that your beard turns white they're easier to spot.

They are actually a beetle, they only live on beaver; don't worry about them, they won't bother you.

Dry and cool,then use a shop vac on them. No more bugs.

Off topic observation:

YukonJeff really knows how to make some nice vids. Love the ol school music you've inserted in the couple I watched. Some real thought obviously went into scenery, sun angle, etc too.... Nice work!

OK, back to the beaver fleas.

Every beaver I've ever caught had fleas.
Jim

I’ve found that beavers that are drowned on a slider, totally submerged, will be bug free. The ones that you have to dispatch will have them. I spray those with permethrin and let sit in a garbage bag for an hour.

they taste like chicken.

I have caught beaver, under ice, on a three day check, and every one has live fleas on it. A hot shower will get them right off of you. They can take ice water but not hot water. They don't live long on just a plew. I just stretch my skins and don't worry about them. I brush all my stuff even beaver. Any dead ones will brush right out after the plew is dry.

They die quick. Just skin and put up

I have never worried about them. See them crawling around before and during skinning then never see them after that.

I use a Flea Trap in my fur shed...

Old timers flea trap is to drip some candle wax into the bottom of a pie pan. Stick the candle in the wax so it stands up. Put a couple drops of dish soap in then about an inch of water. When it gets dark light the candle. Next morning that pan will be full of drowned fleas. Not needed though with beaver fleas.

True...

Some info here -

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaver_beetle

Back in the late seventies I was trapping a lot of beaver and I remember the first time I had carried out some beaver and could feel the fleas moving around in my hair. I was totally freaked out as I thought they would be hard to get rid of. This was back in the day of no Google or Trapper Man so had no idea what to do. Took a hot shower and they were gone for good. I was very relieved to say the least and didnt mention it to my girlfriend at the time either.

I would like to know how they stay alive, completely submerged under ice, for several days, on a drowned beaver.

Danny, they live on trapped air in the underfur. Our 48 hr check is usually not enough to kill them on submerged beaver.

Keep your wife away from them. Beaver flees will make her very angry.