What scents keep black bears away?

Bears dislike the scent of any pine-scented items, such as pine essential oil. Only use pine oil in bear country as other sweet-scented essential oils such as lemon oil, lavender oil, and orange oil, may attract a bear instead of deterring it.

What smells do black 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.

Are there any smells that repel bears?

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.

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.

What is the most effective bear deterrent?

The 2 most effective bear deterrents are bear spray and noisemakers. Carry both when in bear country. Noisemakers are best used to deter a bear that is at a distance – one that sees you and continues to approach or one that is heading to your camp or settlement.

The Best Bear Deterrents

Do bears not like Pine Sol?

Tough Love

Open containers of regular (not orange or lemon) Pine Sol under your house and decks will deter bears from using them as dens as they don't like its smell. It'll keep them out of your car, too, as it masks the scent of the Chapstick in the console or that three-year-old French fry wedged under the back seat.

Do coffee grounds repel bears?

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!

Does human pee deter bears?

Stephen Herrero's book Bear Attacks: Their Causes and Avoidance, considered the definitive work by many authorities, says “human excrement/urine attracts bears and should not be near your campsite.” The National Park Service promotes that belief as well, adding that the salt in urine attracts wild animals (including ...

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.

How do you deter black bears?

At home, black bears can be deterred with something as simple as a high-powered squirt gun. Fill any Super Soaker water gun or similar product with water (or a bit of vinegar diluted in water) and aim directly for the bear's face. Please do NOT use any other liquids or chemicals other than water or diluted vinegar.

Does white vinegar 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.

Does dog poop attract bears?

All food is transferred from bags to metal or plastic storage containers with lids – preferably bear resistant containers. No food bowls are left outside for pets. Bears are attracted to Dog Poop and will often consume it. Keep dog poop cleaned up.

Do bears hate ammonia?

Answer: Ammonia has long been recognized as having an odor bears do not like. It has been used successfully (via soaked rags) to deter curious bears from investigating garbage and gardens.

Are bears attracted to peppermint?

Most bears love the smell of mint. If you go on a camping trip in many state parks, the wardens will tell you not to keep mint toothpaste or mint gum in your tent because the bears will smell it and go after it. The bear's craving for mint can be used to your advantage.

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.

Do citronella candles attract bears?

Citronella products have a strong scent that may attract bears. Don't burn citronella candles in camp. Pack out all garbage and trash. Never bury garbage; bears will find it and dig it up, and you'll be teaching them camp sites are a good place to look for food.

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.

How do you ward off bears?

To scare the bear away, make loud noises by yelling, banging pots and pans or using an airhorn. Make yourself look as big as possible by waving your arms. If you are with someone else, stand close together with your arms raised above your head.

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.

Do bears like the smell of human poop?

Human waste

Both urine and feces are known to attract bears so it is best to set up the bathroom a little way away from camp and make sure waste is stored in an odor-proof bag where possible.

Does a fire keep bears away?

Will Campfires Keep Bears Away? The short answer is no. Fire itself will not scare a bear away, and the smell of burning wood is something that bears will probably want to investigate. If you cook food over an open fire, the smell will definitely attract bears.

Do strobe lights scare bears?

Your flashlight will not blind the bear, neither will strobe. It will just make you to look like a threat and enrage the bear. And the gold rule is to never ever to piss off the bear. Using the light to make you look bigger is the way to go.

Does snoring keep bears away?

Because bears are attracted to just about any interesting smell and deterred by most unusual sounds, it has been suggested by some bear-wary folks that bears would be deterred by snoring. It was actually proposed as a test project once but never followed through on.

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."

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.