Garbage & bins.
A bear’s strongest sense is smell.
They can pick up a scent from over a mile away! That is more than 2000 times better than a human. Garbage, food and chemical smells attract bears. Don’t reward them with easily available food, liquids or garbage.
4 Tips to securing your garbage and recycling.
1.
Follow Revelstoke’s bylaw.
Revelstoke’s Bylaw #2178, Section 8 (f – i), states that containers shall be placed on the curbside for collection “no earlier than 6:00 a.m. on the day of collection;” and that residents shall “remove all Containers from curbside no later than midnight on the day of collection and shall store such Containers in a location not accessible by wildlife.”
2.
Use a heavy duty container with a secure lid.
This not only deters bears, but also ravens, dogs, and other animals that may get into your garbage. Each household may have one garbage container. The City of Revelstoke defines a standard container as: “Non-corrosive, durable receptacle, fitted with secure handles and a watertight cover filled to the rim only and no more than 77 litres (17 gallons) each in size…”. Contact Bear Aware for information on buying a bear-resistant garbage storage container like the Tyedee Bin or visit the guide.
3.
Store your garbage in a secure location, and contain odours.
A secure location is not your carport or a flimsy shed that a bear could easily enter. A shed or garage with a door that closes and locks securely, or the interior of your house is best.
4.
Use our community recycling services as much as you can.
Separating your paper, glass, plastic, tins, and cardboard from your “smelly” garbage will leave an average household with only a few bags per week – toss into your freezer or keep in a tightly closed bag in your basement.
BE BEAR AWARE
Top Tip
Freeze smelly garbage until collection day
If you have the space to do so, a simple way to reduce odours is to place any smelly food articles in a zippy bag and freeze it until garbage day.
Shop bear-resistant containers.
Our friends over at Wildsafe BC have tested and put together a handy list of bear-resistant containers.
Is my garbage container bear-resistant?
Want to know if your garbage is secure? Find out more on what is,
and what is not bear-resistant.
Shop bear-resistant containers.
If your neighbours are doing a poor job of managing bear attractants and you are uncomfortable speaking to them about it, the Revelstoke Bear Aware Coordinator will speak to them for you. Call 250-837-8624.
Bears are driven by their stomachs.
Bears must eat to survive, just like the rest of us, but why are they so active at certain times of the year?
An enormous amount of energy is stored in fat over the summer and fall months so that a bear can survive a winter without eating. Hibernating bears can lose as much as 25-30% of their body weight over the winter. As a result, bears become increasingly active in their search for food as summer wanes and fall approaches. Their keen sense of smell allows them to identify potential food sources from considerable distances.
When hungry bears come into town, they shouldn’t find attractive smells or food. We want them to continue on their way and not linger in our neighbourhoods. Becoming Bear Aware is not difficult. A small change in your behaviour and habits requires little effort but produces large benefits.
Learn more about bear biology.
Revelstoke bylaw
Revelstoke’s Garbage Collection and Wildlife Attractant Bylaw No. 2178 (2017) is a bylaw that describes the collection, removal and disposal of garbage, and requires citizens to manage wildlife attractants.
More to discover:
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Living in bear country
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SIGHTINGS
Reporting a bear
Find out who to inform and what information to share when you spot a bear..
