Property owners have a responsibility to minimize bear attractants around their yard. Once bears find a food source, whether it's kitchen garbage, pet food left outside, or unpicked fruit, they will return to it. They will teach their cubs to return as well. That kind of nuisance behavior is messy, dangerous, and can result in bears being euthanized to protect the public.
Please review the following tips and take action on the items that apply to your residence, especially from late summer through to the end of autumn.
Tips to help reduce bear attractants at home:
- Store garbage indoors and/or freeze odour-producing garbage until collection day. Never put garbage totes out the night before collection.
- Wash all recyclables to reduce odours. Keep recyclables indoors until collection day or inside a garage if possible.
- Ensure compost bins/piles have plenty of carbon (leaves or paper) and mix in weekly to speed up composting. Consider freezing compost materials until December.
- Remove bird feeders; return them outdoors in December.
- Do not keep freezers, fridges or coolers outside.
- Keep the drip tray and grill of your BBQ clean, or store inside a garage if possible.
- Feed pets indoors or remove unfinished pet food from outside feeding dishes.
- Remove fruit from trees as soon as they ripen or remove from the ground as soon as it falls. Consider removal of fruit trees or berry bushes if you do not harvest them.
For additional information and tips please visit WildSafeBC.
Report all Poachers and Polluters (RAPP)
24 Hour Hotline: 1-877-952-RAPP * Cellular Dial: #7277 (on Telus Network)
If the situation is not an emergency, report the incident online or contact the nearest Conservation Officer Service district office.