As bears wake up from hibernation and begin foraging from food, Castlegar’s WildsafeBC co-ordinator is hoping residents can improve on their garbage management.
“There have been a few spottings and a few reports of them getting into garbage already,” Tara Pejski says. “That’s something we really want our residents to be aware of.”
Pejski says in 2022 residents actually did very well managing their garbage compared to the previous year. However, nine habituated bears were still destroyed.
“Making sure we’re taking care of the attractants that will keep them in our neighbourhoods is really important,” she says. “Garbage is the leading attractant. That is always No. 1. ”
Other common attractants for bears and all wildlife include compost, pet food, barbecues that haven’t been cleaned after use, bird seed, fruit trees and nut trees. Pretty much anything that can add calories to the bear’s diet, Pejski explains.
She asks people to ensure their garbage is put out on the morning of collection, not the night before.
“Bears are quite active at night. They’ll come around, and if your garbage isn’t secure, they will get into it, cause damage, and make a mess,” Pejski says.
“They have really good food memories. If they get into a food source once, they’re probably going to come back and try and access it again.”
Pejski says WildsafeBC will be patrolling the city and slapping stickers on any garbage bins they find left out early. She calls it a “friendly remember,” which can be peeled off. But repeat offenders could be fined.
Last year she says a few houses were tagged multiple times, but for the most part people did well and they are hoping to do better still this year, particularly with the rollout of a curbside composting program.
Castlegar was conferred with Bear Smart status in 2021 in recognition of its efforts to reduce human-bear conflicts.
Below is a checklist of ways that you can ensure bears don’t linger in your yard.
Your Garbage Cart
- Lock and store carts in a secure building between your collection day.
- Carts left outside must have both clips locked and be chained to a strong post or tree between collections. It is more difficult for bears to break into a cart if it is fixed upright.
- Only place carts on the curb with clips unlocked between 4-7 a.m. on your collection day. Fines up to $200 may be issued for carts not secured or placed on the curb outside of collection windows.
- If your cart or clips are damaged, contact the city.
Reduce Odours
- Freeze especially smelly food items. Add them to your cart on your collection day (e.g. meat, bones, rotten fruit, etc).
- Take additional garbage to the landfill.
- Clean your cart regularly. Add ¼ cup of baking soda and ¼ cup of Borax to absorb odours.
- Secure and manage backyard compost carefully by adding small amounts at a time and never add meat, dairy, bones or grease.
- Pick all domestic fruit and nuts as they ripen.
- Feed pets inside and store pet food inside.
- Remove bird feeders until winter.
- Install electric fencing.
Prevent Other Attractants
- Pick all domestic fruit and nuts as they ripen.
- Feed pets inside and store pet food inside.
- Remove bird feeders until winter.
- Install electric fencing.
