It has come to the attention of the Hope Mountain Black Bear Committee that in the last couple of weeks a few black bears have been spotted trying to get their paws on hummingbird feeders.
Most people don’t think of bears when they hang their hummingbird feeders in front of a window, where they are easy to reach for refilling and provide a good view of the colorful little birds.
What people don’t realize is that they have just hung a sweet treat for the bears.
A bear will do anything to get to a hummingbird feeder, including climbing your patio furniture, your barbecue or anything else in reach of the feeder, maybe destroying it while doing so.
Think about planting some flowers and shrubs to attract the hummingbirds the natural way. They love red flowers like bee balm, columbine, honey suckle, trumpet vine and many more.
Consider taking your hummingbird feeders down or making sure that they are not accessible to bears.
Remember, they are bear attractants just like the regular bird feeders and anybody can be fined for “attracting” dangerous wildlife.
If the community works together to keep their properties bear attractant free, it will be safer for kids to play outside and also safer for the bears.
For more information, go to www.hopemountain.org or call 604-860-4558.
Lydia Koot,
Chair, Hope Mountain Black Bear Committee
