Key takeaways
- Food scarcity is driving bear activity across the country, according to experts.
- Trash and fruit trees are the largest attractants for bears.
- Keeping food and trash inaccessible to bears is the best way to prevent them from visiting homes and neighborhoods.
For many homeowners in rural and even some urban areas, spotting a bear in their neighborhood has become increasingly common.
In some cases, bears are rummaging through trash cans. In others, they are wandering into backyards, raiding chicken coops or entering homes.
Stewart Breck, a wildlife ecologist with Colorado State University who has studied human-bear interactions for nearly two decades, said homeowner behavior is often a more significant factor in causing and solving the issue.
"It's less about homes expanding into wildlands and more about what people are doing in those homes," Breck told Homes.com News.
So, why are bears showing up near houses?
According to Breck, though housing expansion and development play a role, the increase in encounters is largely due to environmental conditions.
"What's really driving this year's issues with bears is the drought, a very dry winter and spring, combined with late freezes that have limited the natural food available for bears,” Breck said.
When natural food sources become scarce, bears begin expanding their search for calorie-rich food sources, such as fruit or poultry. This helps prepare them for hibernation. Unfortunately, that also often leads them directly into residential neighborhoods.
“They’re on the move,” Breck said.
The biggest attractant? Garbage.
Bears possess an extraordinary sense of smell and can detect food odors from long distances, Breck said. Once a bear discovers an easily accessible meal source, it may repeatedly return to the same property.
Trash can become even more appealing in years when natural food production is poor, Breck said.
Landscaping choices matter more than you think
Many homeowners invest heavily in landscaping without realizing that some plants may attract wildlife.
Fruit-bearing trees are among the biggest concerns when preventing bear interactions, according to Breck. This is especially true with apples, he said.
“A lot of times, people just leave those on the ground and that's just a huge attractor, not only for bears but other wildlife,” Breck said.
Ideally, homeowners in areas with lots of bears should remove fruit trees located close to the house. If that isn't practical, fallen fruit should be picked up and disposed of regularly, Breck said.
However, Breck noted that homeowners don't need to abandon pollinator-friendly landscaping or their vegetable gardens.
Besides fruit, bears also are attracted to:
- Bird feeders
- Beehives
- Chicken coops and small livestock
Securing chickens, beehives and bird feeders
Backyard chicken coops and hobby beekeeping operations have grown in popularity across Colorado, particularly in suburban and exurban communities.
Unfortunately, they can also attract hungry bears, Breck said.
For these situations, he recommended electric fencing as one of the most effective deterrents.
“These are electric fences that are designed to provide a shock but not harm animals or people,” Breck said.
How should homeowners take out the trash?
For homeowners concerned about bear activity, Breck said there is one prevention strategy that stands above all others: Secure your garbage, including any compost piles.
"The number-one thing is getting a bear-resistant container," he said.
He added that homeowners looking for bear-resistant garbage cans should check whether the product has been certified by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee, which is the leading U.S. organization that tests and certifies bear-resistant trash containers, dumpsters, coolers and food-storage products.
Products that earn certification must withstand rigorous testing, including the use of captive bears, designed to prevent the animals from accessing food rewards.
For areas such as Colorado, where black bears are more common, the Wildlife Management Institute provides similar testing and certification services but tests products against attempts by black bears.
Breck said bear-resistant containers vary, but people commonly use smaller ones for their homes.
“Those just have locking mechanisms that make it difficult for bears to get into,” he said.
He added that the trick with those is to make sure they’re still accessible for trash service providers.
“A lot of different garbage haulers are used to or getting used to this issue and trying to figure out how to use containers that function with their system,” Breck said.
On a larger scale, apartment complexes and larger home communities are adding secure trash facilities to their properties.
“Then you move up to municipal efforts and those include industrial-sized garbage containers that also are designed” to prevent bear access.
If a bear-resistant container is not available, Breck recommended storing trash inside a garage or other secure structure until collection day.
Additionally, people should be sure to secure any pet food indoors, keep an eye on the grill when in use and be sure to thoroughly clean it when finished.
"The most important thing is removing that food source," Breck said.
How do you get rid of a bear?
Most residential bear encounters do not become dangerous, Breck said.
If a homeowner sees a bear on the property, Breck suggested trying to scare it away by making loud noises, yelling or creating other disturbances. In most cases, the animal will move on.
However, homeowners should pay close attention to behavior.
Warning signs of a more serious problem include:
- Bears that repeatedly return to the same property
- Bears that refuse to leave when confronted
- Bears attempting to enter buildings
- Bears showing little fear of people
A bear entering a home represents a much higher level of concern. "If the bear is in your home, make a lot of noise and try to scare it out," Breck said. "But a bear breaking into a house is a bear that's escalated its behavior to a point where you need professional help."
In such situations, homeowners should contact local wildlife authority agencies immediately.
What can homeowners expect leading up to fall?
Breck said he expects bear conflicts to remain elevated through late summer and early fall.
"I think we're in the heart of it now," he said. "It's going to be bad for another month or two until the weather cools and the bears start hibernating."
The long-term solution, he said, starts with homeowners.
For residents living near bear habitats, reducing food around the home may not only protect property but also help keep bears wild, Breck said. Less food can lead to fewer wildlife interventions, fewer bears captured by authorities and fewer situations where wildlife managers are forced to euthanize animals that have become dangerously habituated to people.
"You really have to be very thorough," Breck said. "These bears are smart, persistent and strong."
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