# People who live in bear country -- where do you keep your garbage?



## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

I'm thinking ahead to our new place. Where would I keep my garbage between pick up days?

There is a garage, but it's a detached garage with a really wimpy door, and it's right next to the bear highway in the back of the place. There's the barn, but I don't want to attract critters.

The trash containers are those typical ones with the lid that just flips open so the garbage truck can pick it up and dump it. There's no bear proofing.

I can ask the neighbors what they do, but I thought I'd ask here, too.


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## wvfarrier (Sep 13, 2021)

Get a metal container that locks. Bear are very powerful, very smart and VERY persistant. You could also install a better door or a metal security door on the garage. Another option is to put a very hot electric fence around your garbage bin (which os what we do). Its a 5 mile charger on about 50 feet of electric wire......its BLAZING hot. Its pushing something like 10 joules.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

In our garage. It goes out the morning of garbage day in a big bin that has a snap-on cover. But we do have an attached garage.

I don't allow any food garbage in the barn. There is a garbage can in the tack room, but I do not allow food garbage in there. If someone wants to throw out a wrapper or something, I bring it in the house.

Maybe you can have a wooden bin built by the garage and put a latch on it, but the smell will still attract bears.


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## Zimalia22 (Jun 15, 2021)

Over on my ranch, there is no garbage service. What anything will eat goes out to cats, dogs, chickens.
What will burn goes in the stove in the shop. All cans are rinsed and flattened. 
We go to the dump once a year.

Over here where I live, we don't have garbage service.
Anything vegetable matter goes down the garbage disposal. It does help your septic system.
So cans and anything burnable goes in a toy trailer we have. Since nothing organic goes in it, there is no smell. 

No, I don't have bears here, but just saying there are other ways of handling garbage than garbage service.


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## gottatrot (Jan 9, 2011)

The black bears in WA are about the same as ours, coastal rainforest types. They're not that aggressive. Mostly they are opportunistic and go into garages that leave the door open, or into cans that are outside. I've never heard of one breaking into a garage. The biggest thing they do is climb apple trees and break all the branches, so people get rid of their apples fast to save the trees.
They also break fences sometimes, climbing over.

Our garage is detached and has a wimpy door. The rule is that you don't put the garbage can with the flip lid out until the morning of garbage day. The bears come around during the night and look for cans that have been left out too early. We keep our garbage in the garage between pick ups, and there is no problem. We don't have cold winters in the Pacific NW, and the bears are not super hungry. They just like to look for snacks. Something to realize is that they don't really hibernate in this weather. They are a bit less active in the winter, but they still roam around during the night.
We have videos of them walking around our neighborhood.


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## Zimalia22 (Jun 15, 2021)

@gottatrot, speak for your side of the state! The rest of the state can get below 0 cold.


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

I have more issues with the opossums and the raccoons then I do the bears... They don't bother me much...


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

LOL! I would mess my shorts if I ran into that ole bear at night!


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## gottatrot (Jan 9, 2011)

Zimalia22 said:


> @gottatrot, speak for your side of the state! The rest of the state can get below 0 cold.


LOL, I know the OP is moving close to Puget Sound which is in the rainforest part of the state. I don't know how the bears behave in eastern WA or OR since I've only lived in the western parts of those states.


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## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

gottatrot said:


> LOL, I know the OP is moving close to Puget Sound which is in the rainforest part of the state.


Yes, exactly, I'm moving to the milder, wetter part of the state.


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## Zimalia22 (Jun 15, 2021)

ACinATX said:


> Yes, exactly, I'm moving to the milder, wetter part of the state.


Speaking only for myself, to me, that's the colder part of the state since it's so wet. I'll stay over here on the dry side.


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## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

Where do (did) I keep my garbage? At the neighbors. 😆 

When I lived in grizz country, several of us went together on a bear-proof container. The neighbor closest to a (sort of) main road got to have it, not near, but within sight of his house.

Now I have black bear around. Garbage goes to town immediately. We have more trouble with them wanting the pelleted feed that the cattle eat.


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## Palfrey (May 29, 2020)

You know, despite where I live, rural PA, I've only ever had one bear-garbage incident. The bear took the garbage bags off the porch during the night and sat under the tree and picked through, looking for scraps. My chickens get all leftover food scraps so its effort was in vain. 

Is there a high rate of bears getting the garbage cans where you are moving? 

You might be better keeping your bins in a garage or locked shed until morning. 

Good luck on your move!


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

In the garage in lidded containers.

We have more trouble with raccoons and coyotes than bears, though bears are attracted to the smell of barbecues

We’ve got bobcats hanging around the barn in NC, I’m sure they’d love raiding the trash!

All food waste goes either into the waste disposal or the garden composter

Washing empty cans, jars etc helps reduce smell that attracts animals and flies


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