Managing Attractants

The first rule of Bear Smartness is to not attract bears to areas frequented by humans. It is much easier to keep food away from a wild bear in the first place than it is to teach one who has already been rewarded with human food and garbage to stop accessing that easy, high calorie food source.

Securing attractants is the single best way to keep people safe, prevent property damage, and avoid the unnecessary killing of bears that come into conflict with people. Garbage, birdseed, pet food, and other items listed below attract bears to your property making it more likely for a bear to hang around or break into your home creating a safety risk for your family and a death sentence for the bear. Follow these guidelines and you will greatly reduce the chances of attracting bears to and encouraging conflicts on your property.

  • Never store garbage (including food waste, empty food and drink containers and cans, and other waste items with an odour) outside unless it is in a bear-resistant container. Find certified bear-resistant products on the IGBC bear-resistant product list.

    Never leave garbage on your balcony or porch, even if it is screened. Bears are good climbers and can easily break into porches, garages and even unsecured homes.

    If you have curbside pick-up, do not put garbage out until one or two hours before the truck arrives. Use containers with locking lids. Contact your garbage pickup service to learn more about the availability of bear-resistant, locking cans.

    Do not let garbage pile up or develop strong odours, which can attract bears. Minimize odours by storing garbage in tightly closed plastic trash bags or garbage cans.

    Stash food scraps, especially meat, fish, bones, and fruit by-products in the freezer or in an airtight container until you can dispose of them properly. Even “dry” trash (like empty cereal boxes) has an odour, so be careful how you store it.

    Do not discard cooking grease in your yard. Collect it in a glass, plastic, or metal container with a lid. When ready to dispose of it, transfer it to a plastic bag, seal the bag tightly and place in the trash.

    Lobby your municipal government for a bear-resistant waste management system with handy 24-hour drop-off.

  • Ideally, you should avoid using any type of birdfeeder during bear season. (Check with your local wildlife office to learn when bears are active in your area.) Not only do birds have access to plenty of natural foods during this time, but birdfeeders often spread salmonella and other diseases. And they readily attract hungry bears.

    Bird baths are a great alternative that will attract birds to your yard without luring bears into trouble.

    As an alternative to hummingbird feeders, plant red or pink native flowers which are known to attract hummingbirds.

    If you do choose to feed birds at any time of the year, keep the following in mind:

    Store birdseed securely indoors at all times.

    If you intend on feeding birds, hang your feeder well out of reach of bears and “bear-proof” your bird feeder. Keep in mind that a motivated bear may still be able to get to a bird feeder despite your best efforts. Take this bear, for example.

    If your feeder is hung on a cable between two trees, affix a plastic shower rod cover over the wire so that the bear can not grab hold; but don’t forget to keep the area under the feeder clean. Spent seed still attracts bears. You can purchase a feeder system, like this one, to keep bears from accessing seed.

    Choose quality birdseed without millet. Almost all bird seed found under feeders is millet, which most birds toss out of the feeder because they don’t like it. You can also switch to chips of sunflower seeds which will attract birds but leave nothing under the feeder.

  • Feed your pets inside and store their food indoors. Don’t leave dog bones lying around your yard.

    A well-trained dog can help deter bears from entering a yard, or at least be effective at warning you if a bear is nearby. However, aggressive dogs may create conflict situations and may be injured or killed by bears as they defend themselves.

    Keep cats and other small pets (rabbits, guinea pigs) indoors when unsupervised, especially at night, when predatory animals (coyotes, cougars, and bears) can more easily prey on them.

  • Chickens must be kept in a solid coop so that the birds can be locked in at night.

    Not only should your coop stand up to bears, but all other predators, too, including coyotes, cats, mountain lions, dogs, foxes, skunks, raccoons, owls, hawks, rats (who will eat eggs and chicks), minks, and weasels. Many predators can climb extremely well and some can squeeze into very small spaces.

    A run, where the birds can get fresh air and scratch around, can be enclosed with electric netting. It’s best to cover it as well to protect against eagles, hawks, and owls. Or you can try draping several strands of surveyors ribbon over the run to protect chickens from predatory birds (the ribbon acts as a deterrent when it blows in the wind).

    The coop and run must have electric fencing around them to protect birds from bears. Remove any large climbable trees or branches adjacent to the chicken coop or run, or place the coop and run away from trees.

    Ensure there are no gaps under the fence where predators can get underneath.

    You can probably let your chickens free-range when you are home and if you have a good guardian dog(s), but be extra careful if you have active coyotes and bears in the area.

    Store feed securely indoors and in a separate location from the birds. Grain can be stored in bear-resistant trash cans. It is often the mishandling of the grain, mash, and other livestock feed that initially attracts bears (and other predators).

  • Fruit- and nut-bearing landscaping

    Choose non-fruit- and non-nut-bearing trees and shrubs whenever possible.

    Remove plants and shrubs that bears like to eat (berry bushes, fruit and nut trees) from high foot traffic areas (e.g., entrance/doorways, walkways, children’s play sets). Replace them with ornamental, non-fruit-bearing varieties.

    Should you choose to plant fruit- or nut-bearing trees, consider dwarf species that are more manageable to harvest.

    Prune fruit and nut trees over the winter, while they are dormant, to ensure the tree size is manageable for future harvesting.

    To reduce fruit production to a more manageable amount, consider spraying off some of the blossoms in the springtime. Removing the blossom will prevent fruit production and allow for a more controllable harvest.

    Fruit should be harvested as it ripens, if not before ripening; fruit can ripen indoors.

    Windfall must be removed immediately from below the tree. Rotting fruit becomes highly odourous, attracting bears and multiple other wildlife species, including wasps, which can make gathering the fruit a difficult task.

    If you are unable to pick the fruit yourself, ask a friend or neighbour to help, or contact a local Bear Smart organization or wildlife conservation group and ask if they have a “picking” program. Social media platforms often have neighbourhood fruit exchange programs.

    Electric fencing can be effectively used to deter bears from orchards and gardens. Temporary fencing that can be put up and taken down each year is used to protect fruit as it ripens and can be removed once harvesting is complete.


    Yards and Green Spaces

    Keep lawns mowed and weeded. Grasses, dandelions and clover are natural bear foods.

    As with fruit and nut trees, remove native and non-native plants that bears eat, especially in or near high-human-use areas.

    Improve sightlines by trimming or removing brush that is close to homes or along walkways. Bears, and other wildlife species, prefer areas of cover where they are less exposed and can retreat to. Typically, wildlife is reluctant to cross wide open spaces.

    Note: Plant species may vary regionally, but the basic principles remain the same (remove fruiting varieties, remove other known bear foods, trim vegetation in strategic areas, etc.). Check with a local horticulturist for plants that are native to your area.

    For more information on landscaping in bear country, check out these guides:

  • Vegetable gardens, especially those containing potatoes and root vegetables such as carrots and beets, attract bears. Flower gardens are not as attractive to bears as long as they don’t contain sweet vetch, dandelions, and clover.

    Harvest garden vegetables as they ripen.

    Consider a permanent electric fence to keep animals out of your garden.

    Never use blood meal, fish fertilizer, or deer repellent in any garden.

    For more information on landscaping in bear country, check out these guides:

  • If you compost outside, surround compost piles or containers with an electric fence.

    While there are no IGBC certified bear-resistant composters, some compost containers hold up to bears better than others , like the Good Ideas brand Compost Wizard Dueling Tumbler.

    Keep your compost clean and reduce odours, and help it break down faster.

    • Combine “green” items (kitchen scraps, vegetables, small amounts of fruit) with at least double the amount of “brown” items (dead leaves, dry garden and grass clippings, wood chips, egg cartons, newspaper, cardboard). Keep compost aerated and properly turned.

    • Avoid composting meat, fish, oil, grease, or dairy products.

    • Sprinkle compost with lime to aid in decomposition and reduce odours.

    • Bury kitchen waste and cover with dry leaves or dried grass clippings.

    Locate compost well away from forest edges, thickets, and natural pathways used by bears.

    Instead of backyard composting, start a community compost at your local electric-fenced landfill.

    Or, give indoor vermicomposting a try!

    Find more information about composting in bear country in this guide, and check out this short video.

  • Keep doors and windows closed and locked. Food smells can lure hungry bears inside your home.

    Bears can catch their paws on lever-style handles—sometimes accidentally, and sometimes intentionally—opening unlocked doors. Replace lever-style handles with a round door knob and knob collar/protector as well as a dead bolt.

    Do not store food of any kind outside, even if it is inside a locked refrigerator or freezer.

    Rural or unoccupied homes are susceptible to break-ins. Try installing extra security, tight-fitting doors and windows, electric fencing, or a bear-resistant “unwelcome” mat in front of any accessible door and windows.

    Block potential denning sites like crawl spaces under decks and buildings.

  • Don’t leave trash, groceries, animal feed, coolers, or any odorous item in your vehicle or in the back of a pick-up truck. Bears can easily pry open vehicle windows and doors—even trunks—to access food inside.

  • Burn your barbeque clean and wash immediately after use, removing all grease and food residues.

    Remove and dispose of the grease in the drip can or grease tray every time you use your barbeque. Clean it thoroughly before returning it to the barbeque or store it securely indoors.

    Lava rocks trap grease and should be replaced with ceramic bricks that are easier to clean.

    Store your barbeque indoors when not in use (but please remember not to store your propane tank inside, as it is a fire hazard).

    Smoker grills require even more precautions to keep the odours down.

    Be watchful at barbeques—the smell from cooking can attract bears from long distances. Don’t leave any food unattended outside. As soon as you are finished eating, bring all dishes, containers, utensils and uneaten food inside the house. Promptly and properly discard of all cans, used paper plates, cups, disposable containers, and napkins.

  • Colorado Division of Wildlife black bear researcher Tom Beck shared these observations about hot tub covers and petroleum products: “It’s likely that the smell of the vinyl material is what attracts the bear’s attention. Vinyl and other plastics give off numerous volatile compounds for quite a long period, similar to the ‘new car’ smell if you’re lucky enough to buy new cars. For some reason, a wide array of petroleum-based smells, like lantern and propane stove fuel, attract bears. In fact, the additive put in natural gas to make it a noticeable odor has been used to successfully lure in bears during bait-trapping operations.”

    Citronella products contain a compound that is very attractive to bears, so it’s best not to burn citronella candles or use any citronella-based bug sprays.

    Surprisingly, bears have been known to take bites out of hot tub covers. Insulation made with formaldehyde gives off formic acid as it breaks down. Bears are naturally drawn to the smell of formic acid from ant colonies and will bite into the insulation in refrigerators, hot tub covers, bicycle or snowmobile seats, etc. looking for ants. To prevent this use alternative products (like aluminum hot tub covers); or sprinkle your hot tub cover or other attractive object with garden lime or any alkali and then place a tarpaulin cover over it (the formic acid that is released is then counteracted by the lime (CaCO3) to give harmless calcium formate + CO2.

    Bears are also attracted to all petroleum products, like gas, oil and grease. These products should always be stored securely where bears can not access them (follow proper storage guidelines as these products may be a fire risk).

  • Don’t put out salt and mineral blocks as they may attract unwanted wildlife to your yard. Your intention might be to draw deer, elk, and moose, but bears and cougars may also be attracted to your property.