How do you keep black bears off your property?

A properly installed and maintained electric fence is an excellent bear deterrent, and proven to be effective at turning back bears. Electric fencing can be used to protect gardens, fruit trees, livestock pens and even campers, trailers and vacation homes.

What smells will deter bears?

Ammonia or cider vinegar- soaked cloth in trash can or hung on doors and windows can deter bears. The smell of Lysol and PineSol also repels bears. Bear Pepper Spray can be used to defend your- self from an attack; you must determine which way the wind is blowing so you don't get a face full.

What can you put around your house to keep bears away?

Electric fencing and motion-activated lights can be enough to scare bears away from your yard. For your home, you may want to install bars or grates over the windows, as bears can smash through glass. Motion-activated water spraying systems, made for all kinds of animals, may also deter bears.

How do I deal with a black bear in my yard?

Stand and face the bear directly. Never run away from or approach him. Make yourself look as big as possible by spreading your arms or, better yet, a coat. Make as much noise as possible by yelling, banging pots and pans or using other noisemaking devices.

What do bears hate?

Bears also dislike the strong scent of pine-based cleaners, but avoid using anything with a fresh, lemony or fruity smell. And never mix bleach and ammonia; the combination produces fumes that can be deadly to both people and bears.

How to keep black bears away from your home

What are bears scared of?

Big beach balls tossed at bears often scares them off, as do opening and closing an umbrella, shaking a big tarp or garbage bag, or banging pots and pans. If a bear climbs up a tree to escape, yell at it and beat the base of the tree with a baseball bat or heavy stick.

What scent will keep black bears away?

While bears love anything sweet (yes, even honey) they have often been found to steer clear of anything pine-scented. Bears dislike the scent of any pine-scented cleaners that contain pine. Using pure pine oil or a cleaner that contains pine oil, such as Pine-Sol, will aid in repelling bears.

Do lights deter bears?

Lights are good for detecting bears, and may keep them away at first – but over time, bears learn that lights are simply lights and have no adverse effect on them. Now, lights are still great to have on your property to spot bears and other sorts of wildlife.

Do mothballs keep bears away?

Due to bears' highly developed sense of smell, they find the pungent odor of mothballs unique, which actually piques their interest. Placing mothballs in or around your camp (or vehicle) may attract bears to your location, thus increasing the chance of bears raiding your food cache.

What plants do bears hate?

Some landscaping trees, bushes, and flowers that are considered not attractive to bears include willows, penstemon, mock orange, lupine, and columbine. For orchards, protect with fencing and keep a clean orchard. Harvest fruit promptly and pick up fallen fruit so the smell does not attract bears.

Does cayenne pepper keep bears away?

Don't spread cayenne pepper around your campsite- it will not deter bears! The only reason bear spray works is because it is a high concentration that gets right in their face. Spreading pepper around your tent is like seasoning it- an all-around bad idea.

Are black bears aggressive?

In fact, they are often attracted to people's food sources or get used to the presence of humans. However, black bears are typically not aggressive and fear the "repercussions of attacking someone," Garshelis said. "They just don't want to attack people," Garsheilis said. "They're kind of timid animals."

Does ammonia keep bears away?

There are no repellents that are registered for use on bears. Sprinkling ammonia or other strong disinfectants on garbage can mask the odor of food. Frighten the bear. Shouting, clapping, blasting a car horn or motion-sensitive lights may scare off a bear temporarily.

Do bear whistles work?

Bears are not fearful of noises like whistles. Studies have shown loud noise to be ineffective in deterring bears. If you want to carry a whistle in bear country, do so for emergency SOS signaling.

Do bear bells work?

No-they-don't-work: A more recent study by U.S. Geological Survey scientist, Tom Smith, suggests that bears in the wild ignore bear bells, treating them as they would a bird or some other background noise. Therefore, negating the entire purpose of carrying it all.

Do bear fences work?

Bear fences won't work everywhere, or in all weather. In weedy sites, you have to cut down growth that contacts the wires or the charge will be diminished. Heavy rain or snow could also cause failure. Under no conditions should you consider fencing a substitute for properly storing food and keeping a clean camp.

Do black bears break into houses?

Bears have done damage when breaking into other homes in the West. In California, a bear wandered into a couple's home and made a mess of their kitchen in April. In March, a mother bear and her three cubs peeled the siding off a Kings Beach home and trashed part of the basement. They also broke a gas line.

Will an electric fence stop a bear?

A properly installed electric fence will prevent bears from accessing areas of your property and can be an effective long term solution to preventing bear problems. Electric fencing can be used in many situations to effectively deter bears and other wildlife from various attractants.

How do you repel bears?

Soak a cloth in cider vinegar or ammonia and hung it on the windows and doors of your tent, RV, car, etc. The smell of Lysol also repels bears. Bear pepper spray can be used to defend yourself from the bear. Please don't use a strong spray because bears are also alive and they also cry and feel pain.

How do you not attract bears?

Never intentionally feed bears or other wild animals. Always keep garbage cans in a garage or sturdy building until collection day. Take down seed and hummingbird feeders until winter. Remove pet food from wildlife accessible areas, and feed pets inside.

Are bears attracted to the smell of vinegar?

Answer: Here's the short answer: It ain't likely. Here's more: Black bears have actually run away when sprayed with vinegar.

Do barking dogs scare away bears?

The short answer is, yes. A dog can smell a bear and alert you well in advance that something's there, which could in turn divert a potential encounter. And a barking dog can discourage a bear from investigating a campsite.

What time of day are bears most active?

Bears are most active at dusk and dawn, usually around water.

Are black bears afraid of dogs?

Bears are naturally afraid of dogs, and being chased by them often changes the bears' behavior. They are far more likely to avoid an area after a dog has charged after them, even if it happened in a spot that they had visited many times.

Do bears like coffee grounds?

Why coffee grounds? Since the bears have a strong sense of smell, such a pungent treat is extremely attractive and stimulating to them. The bears roll around in coffee grounds like a cat in catnip!