They chew out the bark and wood chip by chip until the tree snaps and falls. The beaver is unable to drop a tree in a specific spot or at a specific angle. However, most trees that grow along streams tend to lean toward the water, so they usually fall into the water when cut. They're most active at night and the twilight periods of dusk and dawn. Daytime activity is rare except during the breeding season, when the ice melts in springtime, and in areas with little human disturbance.
Beavers construct bank dens and lodges for shelter and for raising their young.
They prefer bank dens if the stream bank is suitable for construction. Starting below the water level, they dig into a stream bank, often where it's steep and held together by tree roots. Angling upward, they keep digging until this tunnel clears the water level by a foot or two. Here the beavers hollow out a chamber large enough for them to sleep and move around. One or more den entrances are eventually added to the first, fanning out in different directions in front of the den.