ATLANTA — October is peak bear season in Georgia, according to officials from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.
“It’s garbage to us but dinner for bears. And, October is prime time for bears in search of food and calories,” DNR said in a post about staying Bear Wise.
The state agency said trash, due to its nature as a “smelly, concentrated and dependable source of easy, high-calorie meals,” is one of the main things that attracts bears in Georgia to homes and communities, and keeps them coming back.
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To prevent an unbearable event from happening at home, DNR provided the following recommendations to keep the community, and the bears, safe:
- Always close and latch bear-resistant trash containers (BRCs). Keep containers that are not bear-resistant in a sturdy, locked building or bear-resistant enclosure.
- Put garbage (including any frozen food scraps) and recycling out the morning of pick up, not the night before.
- Never leave trash, food or animal feed in a vehicle or open truck bed. Clean truck beds often.
- Never store trash on or under decks, porches or balconies. Screens don’t keep out bears.
- Rinse out cans, bottles and other recycling to reduce odors.
- Clean trash containers often. Avoid fruit-scented cleaners.
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