Bears see garbage as easy pickings for a meal, especially when it is so hard for them to find food in their natural habitats. If you want to keep bears out of your yard, you need to discourage them by not having an easy access and tempting fast food restaurant. Bears will go to great lengths to get to your garbage, some even breaking through doors to get at it. If you are going to keep your garbage inside in a garage or shed, be sure it has strong doors that can t be easily pushed in by a bear. If you have to keep your garbage cans outside, there are still ways to discourage bears from getting into your garbage.
Garbage can lids are totally useless, even the kind that clamp on.
Bears can open virtually any kind of garbage can and will even tip the whole thing over and jump on it until something comes out. If a bear doesn t feel comfortable eating in your yard, he may simply take your garbage can into the woods with him and you will be left searching for your can in the morning. Also, rocks and heavy objects on cans are not much use as a bear is quite strong and can just tip the can over. The best way to keep a bear out of your outside garbage can is to soak sponges or rags in ammonia and place them on top of the inside of your cans. Ammonia gives off a very strong smell that the bears do not like and it also masks the smell that attracts the bears in the first place.