Bears are awake! Here are some tips to keep bears away from your trash and food waste containers:
1. Layer “browns” on top of your compost pile. Browns are any carbon-rich material like straw, ripped-up paper, dry leaves, wood chips, hay, garden clippings, etc.
2. Turn your compost regularly.
3. Take down birdfeeders or suet. Store birdfeed inside.
4. Do not compost meat, fish, and bones at home.
5. Make sure your compost bin is enclosed, locked, and lined with a wire.
6. Protect open piles of compost with an electric fence.
7. Move compost piles away from the forest edge.
8. Secure trash containers or consider storing trash bags indoors and moving them outside the morning of pickup.
9. If a bear visits your compost pile, consider bringing scraps to a town drop-off or the District Transfer Station instead.
Vermont Fish and Wildlife tracks incidents of black bears. To fill out a report, go to: https://anrweb.vt.gov/FWD/FW/WildlifeBearReport.aspx
For more information on composting in Bear Country, go to: https://vtfishandwildlife.com/node/260