Bird feeders are a significant attractant for bears, inviting them into residential areas where human-wildlife conflict is likely. Bears are opportunistic omnivores driven by an intense need for calories, and the contents of a typical feeder represent a highly concentrated, easily accessible food source. When bears discover this reliable, high-energy food, they quickly lose their natural wariness of humans, leading to negative outcomes for both the animal and the community.
Why Bears Target Bird Feeders
Bird seed and suet are potent attractants because they have high caloric density, suiting a bear’s nutritional demands. Black oil sunflower seeds, a common staple, contain high fat and protein, offering a substantial energy reward for minimal foraging effort. A single pound of these seeds contains approximately 2,500 calories, which is far more concentrated than natural food sources like berries or grasses.
The sheer volume of calories available makes a bird feeder an irresistible target. A typical seven-pound capacity feeder can hold up to 18,000 calories, and a 32-ounce reservoir of hummingbird nectar provides 3,200 calories of pure sugar energy. This easy caloric intake is exactly what a bear’s metabolism seeks, especially when they must rapidly gain weight.
A bear’s extraordinary sense of smell ensures they locate these meals from great distances. Their olfactory capabilities are many times greater than a bloodhound’s, allowing them to detect the pungent, oily scent of suet and seeds from over a mile away. Once a bear accesses a feeder, its excellent memory ensures it will return repeatedly, confirming the feeder has effectively become a “bear feeder.”
Peak Times for Bear Encounters
Bear activity around human residences is linked to their seasonal metabolic needs, creating two high-risk periods for bird feeder raids. The first period is in the spring, typically starting around March or April, as bears emerge from hibernation. They are in a state of “walking hibernation,” needing immediate, easily digestible calories to recover from the winter fast, as natural food sources are often scarce.
The second, more intense, period occurs in the late summer and fall, a phase known as hyperphagia. This biological drive compels bears to consume excessive amounts of food to build up fat reserves for the coming winter. During hyperphagia (late August through November), a bear may forage for up to 20 hours a day and consume as many as 20,000 calories daily.
While bears are typically most active during the day and twilight hours, those living near human development often shift their behavior. To avoid human contact, bears learn to exploit residential food sources, including bird feeders, exclusively at night. This nocturnal habit increases the risk of an encounter during the early morning or late evening, making it crucial to remove attractants before dusk.
Eliminating Bird Feeders as an Attractant
The most effective way to prevent habituation and conflict is to remove bird feeders during the months when bears are active (generally late March/April until early/mid-December). If a feeder must remain out, it must be brought indoors every evening, ideally stored in a secure building like a locked garage or shed. Simply bringing the feeder onto a porch or deck is not sufficient, as bears are strong and adept at accessing these areas.
Proper storage of the supplemental bird food is paramount, as the scent of the stored seed can attract bears just as easily as the feeder. Bird seed, suet, and nectar should be kept in a durable, airtight metal or heavy-duty plastic container with a locking lid. These containers must be stored inside a secure structure, not left in a plastic container on the ground or in a flimsy storage shed.
Thoroughly cleaning up spilled seed is another step in eliminating the attractant, since the ground underneath a feeder can hold a significant amount of discarded food. This spillage should be raked or vacuumed up regularly to remove the reward for a foraging bear. Finally, the feeder should be cleaned of residual scent by soaking it in a solution of one part bleach to nine parts hot water for ten minutes, or using a vinegar solution, followed by a thorough rinse and complete drying. This eliminates the lingering odor that could draw a bear back.