Bearproof Cans Protect Your Trash AND The Bears
Using bearproof trash containers can actually help protect bears.
Bearproof and bear-resistant garbage cans and enclosures are effective deterrents to keep bears and other animals out of your yard and out of your trash. In doing so, they also help protect bears by keeping them out of residential areas searching for food. In a recent article by Spectrum News 13 in Seminole County, Florida addressed many important facts about bear encounters. The story addressed increased enforcement for residents who failed to properly use their bear-resistant garbage cans but the bigger takeaway was why.
If you live in a bear populated area and your community has put in place a requirement for the use of bearproof garbage cans it is for your protection and the bears. Residents need to be aware of the dangers bear encounters and also the things that attract bears to your neighborhoods, like unsecure trash cans, bird feeders, and any kind of food sources that may be outside.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation said that close encounters with bears are common in the Seminole County neighborhood. Last week a woman said she was bitten by a bear after her dog ran after it, which prompted the FWC to try and trap it.
However, there is a lot of bear support in the neighborhood. Many who live there say it is not fair for the bear to be captured and euthanized, even after the attack on one of their neighbors.
But FWC wildlife scientist Mike Orlando says when a human is attacked, they have to take action.?"If a bear is acting aggressively, and it's escalating, escalating and we don't know about it, somebody could really get hurt, and/or killed, and we don't want that," he said.
The neighbors want better enforcement of the laws so there are no more bear/human conflicts. In fact, there is an ordinance in Seminole County to use bear-resistant trashcans.?And if a resident does not use them properly after repeated warnings, they could face fines up to a $100 a day, every day until the problem is fixed.
While the fines express the seriousness of the the situation, what is most important is for residents to be educated, to be Bear Aware and to take simple actions to allow both humans and bears to live safely.
FWC's Bear-Related Calls
From 2010 through 2018, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's Central Bear Management Unit (BMU) received a total of 27,027 calls from the public about bears, which the graph shows.
WHERE ARE THE BEARS?
Florida's black bears are largely concentrated in parts of northern and central Florida but can be found throughout the state. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has broken up the state into Bear Management Units to better track and handle the population.
5 QUICK BEAR FACTS TO KNOW
- 1,200 is FWC's estimated average number of bears living in the Central BMU alone in 2014. It's estimated there are at least 4,000 black bears throughout the state.
- 250-400 pounds is the average size of male black bears. Adult females can weigh up to 250 pounds.
- 80 percent is the amount of a bear's diet that comes from plants. An additional 15 percent comes from insects and 5 percent from meat.
- 132 is the number of bears fatally struck by a vehicle in 2017. FWC says more than half of the bear deaths caused each year in Florida happen in the Central BMU.
- 52 percent is the percentage of bear-sighting calls in Florida that come from the Central BMU.
REASON PEOPLE CALL ABOUT BEARS
35% of bear calls is because of general interaction. This is why it is so important for you are 'Bear Aware' which essentially means you are aware of your surroundings, know what to do if you encounter a bear and to be prepared for such an encounter.
28% are due to bears getting into garbage. By understanding what types food sources attract bears you can take practical proactive steps to deter bears from coming into your yard looking for food. For example: removing bird feeders or other food sources outside. Using bear-resistant trash cans such as our Stealth2 can which is uniquely designed to keep bears out and they are IGBC (Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee) certified. Our Bearicuda Basic can is a smaller 30 gallon can that features an airtight, screwtop lid that keeps food smells escaping so it won't attract bears. It has also been tested at the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center in West Yellowstone, Montana by the Living with Wildlife Foundation (LWWF).
15% is due to bears causing some kind of property damage. In addition to bear-resistant trash cans, we also over metal bearproof containers and trash can enclosures such as our Titan model which is a wheeled all-welded, 14 gauge steel, trash container. We also offer bearproof, welded steel, metal enclosures such as our LWWF & IGBC Certified Highlander, Silverback or Razorback.
13% are because of a sick or dead bear. The sad part is that when bears are out of their natural habitat and come searching for food in garbage cans and dumpsters they can eat things that could be poisonous or if they are in any way aggressive towards humans they may be killed. So by proactively eliminating the food sources that are attracting the bears to come out of the woods and into residential areas, we can help keep both humans and bears safe.
9% are for various other reasons.
So what are some specific steps we can take to keep both ourselves, our families and the bears safe.
LIVE IN A BLACK BEAR AREA? TAKE THESE STEPS
- Don't feed the bears.
Lock up all pet food, including bird seed or livestock feed. Don't leave human food out, either.
- Keep garbage cans locked.
Get a bear-resistant trash can. Some local governments have discount programs. Or keep the cans locked up and only bring them out when it's time for trash pickup.
- Clean grills regularly.
Bears can smell food sources from more than a mile away, so try not to leave residue on your grill.
- Don't leave fallen fruit on the ground.
Have fruit trees? Ripe or fallen fruit will definitely attract food-loving bears.
- Be prepared to scare a bear.
If you encounter a bear and are in a safe area, try to scare it away by yelling, using an air horn or whistle, or something similar.
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