You may be guilty of laughing when your local news channel shows a story about how a bear broke into a home in your community looking for a treat or two. Then the newscasters crack a joke about bears turning the tables on Goldilocks.
The changing temperatures and leaf colors show that fall is finally here, and that means hungry bears are going to be on the prowl to eat as much as they can to get them through their winter hibernation. Once inside your home, they can do plenty of damage while they look for food. What do you do?
Bears on the Prowl
One man found himself getting a lot of attention on social media after he a posted video of a mama bear and her not-so-little cubs visiting him inside of his house late at night. He was lucky that he was able to put a door between him and them to save his skin, but his house probably wasn’t so lucky. Just think what he went through as he heard the animals rummaging through his house, getting into his kitchen cabinets and knocking over stuff.
Could you imagine the damage that one bear or three would be able to do to a house, even in just a short time? Their claws and teeth could leave gouges in the floor and walls. Their immense strength could rip the cabinet doors right off of the wall as they search of food. They may even leave you an unwelcome present to thank you for hosting them. You might also find that your well-stocked pantry has become their favorite grocery store, and they’ve left you with quite a mess to clean up throughout the house thanks to ripped open cereal boxes and food strewn everywhere.
What about any lingering smells afterward? What if the bears carried any fleas and ticks on them? What about your pets? Did you have your cell phone on you so you could call 911? There are tons of things that could run through your mind while the bear invasion happens.
All that food acted like a lure to get the bears into your home in the first place. You may be asking yourself what to do to prevent this in the future? It’s not like you can stop buying food for your home. There’s actually a few things that to help keep your home as bear-proofed as possible.
Tips to Keep Bears Away
The first step is to eliminate or reduce foods around your home that entice them to come into your yard to investigate. Bird feeders, unsecured garbage cans, pet food bowls left outside, uncleaned grills, compost piles, beehives and gardens all send out smelly signals to bears that there’s a food source in your yard. It’s important to outsmart the bears as much as possible. For instance, you may not be able to bring your beehives inside, but you can protect them with electric fences that keep your beehives safe while deterring bears.
You can also use deterrents on your home to help keep them outside and your home safe. Add security grills or bars to your windows, or go for specially made bear deterrent systems. Some of these deterrent systems involve lights that can scare away wild animals, and some of them hook up to your water system to scare them away with a spray of water.
Homeowners Insurance
If you have homeowners insurance already, now is the time to contact your agent about your particular policy to make sure that you’re covered for any damage in case a bear decides that it’s time to come into your home for their dinner. Checking in advance can help to prevent you from having to pay more out-of-pocket cash to handle the damages after you have a hefty, furry visitor that has paws with sharp claws.
If you don’t have homeowners insurance, now is a good time to talk with an agent about getting a quote and learning what your new policy covers. Feel confident in knowing that your home and belongings are covered in case of a bear invasion or other crazy situation that you probably didn’t dream would happen to you and your home in a million years. Protect you and your family with financial security.
As long as people continue to encroach on the habitats of wild animals, there will be reports of bears and other animals entering into our dwellings. Protect yourself from the damage that can ensue from wild animals in your home that try to get to your food and then back out into the wild. You’ll be glad that you made this step when your home is the one up on the 11 o’clock news thanks to hungry curious animal visitors.
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us!
