Composting with bears in mind
Composting without attracting wildlife takes careful planning. After an increase in bear incidents at homes, Vermont wildlife officials are sharing tips to address the issue. (VF&W Photo by John Hall)
Plenty of bears are looking for food near local residences, and the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department keeps hearing from concerned homeowners. With the state’s food scrap ban in effect, officials are providing tips for people who are composting at home so they can avoid attracting hungry bears.
“We have been receiving lots of reports of bears on decks, tearing down bird feeders, wrecking beehives, killing chickens, and getting into trash, compost and garbage containers,” said bear biologist Forrest Hammond in a statement. “We are offering some guidance on how to compost at home without attracting bears.”
Hammond recommends deterring bears by taking bird feeders down until there is a foot or more of snow in December.
“Then, make sure anything else that might smell like food is picked up,” he said. “And keep your trash container secured inside a sturdy building and don’t put it outside until the morning of pickup. Beehives, chicken coops and compost bins can be protected with electric fencing.”
If you know bears are active in your neighborhood, the best way to avoid attracting them is to take food scraps to an available drop-off station, according to the state. You can locate them by contacting your local solid waste management district or town at www.802recycles.com, or ask your trash hauler if they pick up food scraps for composting.
Composting at home while minimizing the chances of attracting bears can best be done with these tips:
Use three parts of brown material for one part of green material. Browns can be dried leaf and yard debris, wood chips, which often can be delivered to your house free by a local tree service company, or shredded paper. Greens include kitchen scraps, vegetables and small amounts of fruits. Adding lots of brown material minimizes smells and speeds up composting.
No meat, bones or seafood leftovers. They do not break down quickly and are strong wildlife attractants. (The food scrap ban allows people who compost at home to dispose of meat, bones and seafood in the trash, so they can be kept in a freezer until trash day, officials added.)
Give your compost oxygen by frequently mixing it or turning it over if it is in a container. This reduces odors and speeds up composting.
Does your compost smell? If so, turning it, adding more brown material and adding a layer of wood shavings or sawdust to the top should solve the issue.
Enclose your composter with electric fencing or compost in a hard, durable container with a lid that will be challenging for a bear to open. Some types of tumblers are bear-proof.
Electric fencing, with food scent added to the wires will discourage even persistent bears.
If you are currently having a bear issue, delay starting your new compost pile until the bear issue resolves. Until then, keep food scraps in the freezer or bring them to a collection site.
To learn more about properly composting food waste, go to the Department of Environmental Conservation’s website at www.VTrecycles.com.
The public is encouraged to contact their local warden if they are having a bear issue. You may also submit a black bear incident report. Contacting your warden or submitting a black bear incident report helps wildlife officials keep track of bear issues around the state and may help shape future regulations regarding black bears.
For more details, visit the black bear section of the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department’s website.
— Gareth Henderson
