Why You Should Be Careful When Using Bleach To Deter Bears

The number of bear encounters and bear attacks are on the rise across the United States. This is largely due to an increase in the population of both bears and people, along with bears expanding their range throughout a greater portion of the U.S. As a result, many Americans are taking steps to avoid such interactions. Whether trying to keep bears away from your home or while camping in bear country, it is not uncommon to employ the use of bleach and other household cleaners as deterrents. While these chemicals can indeed keep bears at bay, there are reasons you should be careful when turning towards bleach.

Bears have one of the strongest and most sensitive senses of smell. So strong, in fact, that they are able to detect even the slightest scent from miles away. This is partially due to their extremely large nasal cavity — more than 100 times the size of a human's. As such, this makes cleaners such as bleach, Pine-Sol, and ammonia effective bear deterrents, as they irritate the bear's sensitive nasal tissue.

However, if the mixture used as a deterrent is too strong, it can have detrimental effects on the bear, such as blinding or injuring the bears. Such a scenario can also put humans at greater risk, as a bear that is temporarily blinded will be unable to flee from your yard or campsite. So, while bleach and other cleaners can be very effective as deterrents, they must be used properly to ensure a safe outcome for yourself, the bear, and your property.

There are a number of ways to safely use bleach, ammonia, or Pine-Sol to deter bears from your home, yard, or campsite. The simplest of these is to wipe down hard surfaces with a diluted solution of one of these cleaners. Diluted being the key word here. Again, bears have a strong sense of smell. So, if you can smell the bleach solution, then they certainly can detect it from a great distance.

Cleaning trash bins, picnic tables, coolers, and other items that may have been in contact with food will remove the food scents that attract bears and leave an odor they disdain. But, do not pour straight bleach on or in them. Rather, mix one cup of bleach with five gallons of water. You can then either wipe the surfaces with a rag or sponge. You can also put the solution in a mister bottle, spray the surface, then wipe it dry. Sponges soaked in this solution can also be placed in bowls or vented containers and placed around your yard or campsite.

If you do live or camp in bear country, making it a habit to clean with this bleach solution can certainly help deter bears. However, it is also a wise idea to employ additional measures, such as the Fox Lights SOLAR predator guard deterrent. Devices such as these utilize motion-activated lights and sounds to scare off bears and other intrusive animals. They can be used to create an outer perimeter around your property or campsite to prevent bears from coming too close.