There isn’t a specific type of garbage that relates to bears, it’s basically anything that attracts them by smell.
With their natural habitat dwindling more each day and their natural food sources becoming more limited, bears are venturing into our neighborhoods to grab a quick bite.
Invariably, that leads them to our garbage cans.
If you’ve never considered the idea of a bear in garbage on your property, think again.
It’s happening all over…
Even in residential areas that were once considered safe from bears.
So everyone really needs to take the proper precautions
in order to limit the possibility of a bear invading your garbage.
There are a number of steps you can take to prevent the animals from invading your trash.
The most prominent feature of bear garbage is that it generally contains food scraps.
If you are throwing out empty fast food containers or other containers that held food, rinse them out thoroughly before putting them in the trash. You can also use plastic bags to contain food scraps.
Another good way to avoid having a bear in garbage at your home is by
using special bear proof containers.
These are usually made of strong materials and have smooth sides as well as twist and lock lids, all of which prevent bears from getting into your trash to have a snack.
Well-sealed containers also limit the smell of trash, which is the biggest factor in attracting them in the first place.
With this in mind, you can also limit odors by cleaning your trash cans regularly and spraying them with ammonia.
Bears are repelled by the smell of ammonia, so this will prevent the production of bear garbage. If you have a baby, be particularly careful when disposing of diapers as the smell of dirty diapers is particularly attractive to the animals.
While the sight of a bear in garbage near your home is scary, they will generally not attack humans unless they are injured or cornered. Of course you’ll still want to use extra caution, especially if you have pets or young children. Using bright lights and scarecrows in the areas where you store your garbage can help to discourage bears from visiting.
The simplest way of avoiding bear garbage is by not having your trash sitting around for long periods of time. If you can, wait until the morning of your trash pickup day to put the trash out. The less time it sits around outside your house, the less likely it will be to attract bears in the first place.
By taking these simple steps, you can keep bears out of your trash and limit the possibility of dangerous encounters. This way your whole family can breathe easier and you’ll be doing the bears a service too as human scraps aren’t actually a very healthy food source for them.
So do your best to be bear friendly and make your garbage cans a paws-off zone!