bear proof your home

Along with managing your garbage and attractants there are a number of measures you can use to deter bears from entering your property. By bear proofing you home you can avoid unwanted human-bear encounters that can lead to the uneccessary killing of our bears.

landscaping and gardening

  • Clear shrubs and bush away from doorways and children’s play areas. Bears and other wildlife prefer to have cover through which to travel so creating an open space may make them reluctant to enter your yard.

  • Bears love clover, dandelions and a variety of grasses. It is good to keep your lawn mowed to discourage growth.

  • While not a first choice vegetable gardens can be an attractant for our bears: particularly those with root vegetables.

  • An electric fence can help keep out bears and other wildlife from vegetable gardens and from fruit trees.

  • If you do have fruit trees please consider using an electric fence. Otherwise harvest fruit before it ripens and ripen indoors.

  • Pick up all windfall within 1-2 days. If you can’t pick your fruit ask a friend or neighbour to do so for you or consider taking down your fruit tree/s.

  • Do not use fish fertilizer or blood meal in your garden: these are also attractants for our bears.

  • Refrain from using outdoor refrigerators or freezers and do not store food products in an outdoor shed.

There is an extensive list of plants that are bear attractants available courtesy of the Get Bear Smart Society at: Bear Friendly Landscaping

keep vehicles and home windows closed and doors locked

Our bears are highly intelligent: along with their keen sense of smell they can be attracted to the slightest aroma in your car such as a candy wrapper or scented air freshener. Please keep your vehicle windows closed and locked and doors locked to avoid damage and a surprise encounter.

Bears can be drawn to open windows in your home, especially if food odors are present. We encourage you to keep windows closed when bears are active. Doors with latch handles can be easily opened by a bear. A bear who has entered a home is considered a safety risk and may be faced with an early death.

Outdoor refridgerators and freezers

Refrain from using outdoor fridges and freezers to store food.

deterrents and repellents

Our bears are usually rather timid and are easily shooed away with a firm and calm voice tone but there are times when a bear may become more persistent and stay in your yard repeatedly (always make sure your yard is free of garbage and attractants that are causing the bear to return). Sometimes a radio playing in an enclosed garage or shed may be sufficient to deter the bear, or a motion sensor light. But other times something a bit more startling is necessitated. There are a number of home made and commercially made products that can be used to deter or repel bears on your property such as:

  • A large beach ball thrown at the bear, a large plastic bag being shaken, pots and pans, or a can filled with pebbles, sealed and shaken.

  • An ‘unwelcome doormat',’ the ‘critter gitter,’ and the ‘scarecrow,’ are examples of commercial products that function as deterrents.

  • We do not recommend the use of bear bangers or air horns. They can be dangerous and can cause the bear to panic and run straight toward you rather than away.

  • Pine-sol doused rags in a bucket or inside your garbage can are a simple and effective repellent.

BEAR REPELLENT AND DETERRENT CARDS: just ask for one when you see us in the community with our information booth or email us and we can mail directly to you.