Other Attractants:
Citronella Candles: Bears are attracted to the scent of citronella candles.
Hot Tub Covers: Hot tub covers can be a source of attraction for bears.
Livestock and Poultry Feed: Store feed in a bear-resistant secure building, garage, or shed.
Antifreeze, Paint, and Petroleum Products: These can also attract bears.
Landscaping: Consider what attractants you create through your landscaping and gardening choices.
Fences: Fences mean little to most wildlife in Canada, and it's important to consider what attractants we create through our landscaping and gardening choices.
How to bear proof your home, yard and campsite
On Vancouver Island, black bear attractants include food and food-related items, pet food, garbage, barbeques, bird feeders, fruit trees, berry bushes, and even items like citronella candles and hot tub covers
Here's a more detailed breakdown of common black bear attractants:
Food Scraps: Leftover food, grease, and fish offal are strong attractants. Outside compost bins will be highly attractive if food scraps are added.
Garbage: Unsecured trash bins are a major source of bear attraction. Even unwashed recycling and empty bins with residual smells
Pet Food: Leaving pet food outside or in easy access is a big draw for bears. That means a bag of pet food in your car. Bears are very adept at opening vehicle doors.
Barbeques: Smells and leftover food from barbeques can attract bears. Scrub grills clean after use.
Bird Feeders: Birdseed and suet are high-protein food sources for bears.
Fruit Trees and Berry Bushes: Ripe fruit and berries are a natural food source for bears.
Compost: Compost, other than grass clippings, leaves, or branches can attract bears.
Coolers and Beverage Containers: Coolers and beverage containers can smell like food to bears.
Perfumed Items: Soaps, deodorants, toothpaste, sun tan lotion, insect spray, and hair spray can attract bears due to their scent.
Wastewater from Cooking or Dishes: Wastewater from cooking or doing dishes can attract bears.
Tablecloths, Pots, Dishes, Cups, etc.: These items can be considered food-related attractants.
Plastic Containers: Even plastic containers that are not used for food storage can attract bears.
As anyone who has ever walked into a freshly-mopped room can attest, these cleaning products send a strong, almost vapor-like smell wafting through the air. If the mixture is too strong, it can almost be unbearable, no pun intended. According to Colorado Parks & Wildlife, a bear's sense of smell is 100 times stronger than that of a human's. Considering exposure to these cleaning products can cause irritation to the eyes, ears, nose, and throat of people, it is easy to see why bears have no interest in sniffing air filled with the aroma of chemical cleaners. To that end, Pine-Sol, one of the more popular household cleaners., is an effective way to keep bears away from camp, BBQs and garbage bins.
Using Pine-Sol to keep bears away from camp is as easy as it is effective. Given that keeping your camp neat and tidy is an essential part of bear-proofing campsites, step one is incorporating Pine-Sol into your camp cleaning routine. Wipe down any hard surfaces such as ice chests and coolers, tables, camp chair and canopy legs, bear boxes, etc. with Pine-Sol each time you clean camp. Even items such as tarps and rain canopies can be wiped with diluted Pine-Sol. Secondly, you can place sponges or rags soaked in Pine-Sol around the perimeter of the camping area. The safest and easiest way to do this is to place them in water-proof containers or cans then remove the lids once they are put in place around the campsite. This will prevent the cleaner from leaking on other camping gear during transport or soaking into the ground once deployed.
Residential areas
Minimize odors and the availability of food rewards throughout your yard and neighborhood.
Put out garbage on the day of pick up, not the night before. Store garbage in a sturdy building or place in an approved bear-resistant trash receptacle.
Do not leave pet food out. Hang bird feeders out of a bear's reach, away from your house, and take down during periods of high bear activity.
Keep bar-b-ques clean and grease free. Store with livestock/pet feed and other attractants inside a sturdy building.
Fruit trees: Pick all ripe fruit from the tree and surrounding ground.
Compost piles may attract wildlife, especially bears. Do not put meat, fish, and other pungent scraps in compost piles. Add lime to reduce odors and accelerate decomposition
Electric fences are an effective way to keep bears and other animals out of orchards, gardens, compost piles and beehives. Follow appropriate safety precautions.
To frighten a bear out of your yard - bang pots together, make loud noises or shake a large garbage to fill with air to make a loud bang.
Secure garbage pails - if locked and chained up bears often move on to an easier dinner. Spray the bin with Pinesol original scent