WEST SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – A wood-eating neighborhood nuisance has invaded a West Sacramento area, leaving homeowners on alert.

It’s been three years since beavers infiltrated the Bridgeway Lakes neighborhood. Their appearance comes in waves. There used to be just a few, but now city officials believe there could be as many as 30.

“I started getting lots of calls from concerned residents,” West Sacramento’s Urban Forest Manager Dena Kirtley said.

One of the largest rodents on earth, a half dozen beavers have been trapped so far.

“They can weigh upwards of 70 pounds and some of them, by the damage on the trees, were a good 4-feet tall,” said Kirtley.

Many more are still free and tearing down trees in the Southport neighborhood.

“It was on a massive scale. It was very large trees. I think there were about 10 to 12 trees that were felled,” said Kirtley.

Most of the damage has been done to public property.