Tahoe bears will travel long distances to bulk up before winter. How to protect your home

Jacqueline Pinedo
·2 min read

As the days start to get cooler, black bears in the Tahoe region are preparing for their hibernation period, which will cause a change in behavior, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Agency representatives are advising locals to take preventative measures in securing food and potential black bear crawl spaces around their homes.

“Some insurance companies will pay for damage in a crawl space, but many won’t, so a lot of the burden can fall on the homeowner,” said Rebecca Carniello, the Urban Wildlife Biologist at the Nevada Department of Wildlife in an Oct. 25 news release.

Here’s what you can do to avoid dealing with hungry bear encounters:

Why do black bears prepare for hibernation?

Black bears enter a temporary psychological state referred to as “hyperphagia.” The temporary attitude black bears experience in the fall, refers to the large quantities of calories they will be consuming in preparation for their hibernation period during the winter months.

Bears will travel long distances to find food, and sometimes veer outside of their normal range.

An adult bear will consume anywhere from 20,000 to 24,000 calories per day in preparation for hibernation, according to the Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Bear wise principles

To allow Tahoe black bears to bulk safely and in the wild, state officials are recommending residents to integrate bear wise principles .

Below are ways to secure residential areas, according to the Department of Fish and Wildlife:

  • Use bear resistant garbage carts or boxes for trash bins.

  • Remove bird feeders around your home.

  • If you have a pet, bring their food indoors.

  • Keep your outdoor grills clean.

Once black bears are ready to hibernate they will seek a location to spend the winter months. In some cases, bears can make their way under people’s homes and choose to hibernate under dens and crawl spaces. This can be damaging and costly to homeowners.

Instead, secure any possible crawl spaces now, to prevent a black bear from using it as its winter home.

If you find yourself in a bear encounter below are some numbers you can call for help:

  • California Department of Fish and Wildlife can be reached at 916-358-2917 or you can report an incident online.

  • For non-emergency bear collisions call the California State Park at 916-358-1300.

  • For all emergency encounters call 911.

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