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Ann
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# Posted: 20 Nov 2012 05:04pm
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We are having problems this year with black bears doing the usual things (tearing down feeders, dumping garbage cans, etc.) near my cabin in central Pennsylvania. But recently they have started flipping the lids off of septic tanks -- not just the green plastic lids but also concrete ones. Has anyone else heard of this? Maybe the lids resemble garbage can lids to a bear? If so you'd think that one sniff would convince them them to look elsewhere for food. But a neighbor says they have flipped his lids multiple times.
We are thinking of putting big rocks on them with a tractor, but that would make the systems hard to maintain. And we have already seen huge rocks flipped by bears looking for grubs.
I got an air horn and some bear spray in case I run into one outside at night. I've had one come up onto my porch in the past.
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trollbridge
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# Posted: 20 Nov 2012 05:14pm
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Ick! Hope they don't fall in and require rescuing!!! Sounds strange to me. Good luck-how long til they hibernate out there? Maybe by spring they will have forgotten all about the lids 
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Ann
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# Posted: 20 Nov 2012 05:28pm
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Hopefully they'll hibernate in December, as soon as it gets cold enough. But sometimes they come out of hibernation during warmer spells.
My cabin is on about 400 wooded acres owned by family near Gettysburg. But the land is surrounded by apple orchards and fields with standing corn that are attracting the bears. Originally they probably came from state forest a few miles away. We suspect based on sightings and wildlife cameras that there are as many as nine. We are regularly are seeing four bears together -- a sow with two young cubs and a yearling cub. The cubs are learning these tricks from mom.
I like them but not the damage they are doing.
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toyota_mdt_tech
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# Posted: 20 Nov 2012 06:15pm
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Ann, hunger, food shortage, early snow??? They needs some reserve build up before hibernation.
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hattie
Member
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# Posted: 20 Nov 2012 07:12pm
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Quoting: Ann But recently they have started flipping the lids off of septic tanks -- not just the green plastic lids but also concrete ones.
I've never heard of a septic lid not being underground. Out here (in Canada) our septic lids are below ground and when the tanks need emptying we have to dig them out first to remove the lids. Most people just put sand over the lid and then a concrete slab to mark where it is. I've never heard of a bear going after this type of system. Our septic lids are about a foot below ground.
A hungry bear will go after anything that smells. They have an incredible sense of smell and if they think there might be food there, they will try to get it (especially before hibernation).
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Ann
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# Posted: 20 Nov 2012 07:28pm
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Our tank lids are a few inches above ground. My system actually has five.
There is a four-day bear hunting season underway this week but we are not hunting them on our property. Getting one would be almost too easy and unfair, since we have inadvertently attracted them through human activity. Deer season starts next week, which probably will scare the bears into hiding for a while.
Next spring maybe we should try to scare them away -- they are getting too habituated to humans.
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PA_Bound
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# Posted: 21 Nov 2012 08:26am
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Ann... I live just down Route 15 from Gettysburg, in Frederick Co., Maryland. Living in this area I've heard a bunch of bear stories, but flipping septic tank lids is a new one. I'm thinking Hattie is on to something howerver, in that while I know those lids are pretty tight to prevent odors from reaching a human nose I'm not sure anything is tight enough to fool a bear nose. And even though it smells nasty to us, I'm sure to a bear it's at least worth exploring.
How to fix it... hmm. You're correct in that you could put heavy rocks or something on it, but that defeats the whole purpose of having above ground access (which is to encourage more frequent pump-out and better maintenance, supposedly resulting in a cleaner environment, for those in other areas that don't have this requirement). I don't have the concrete lids, but is there any way to attach some form of heavy duty hasp on those lids? Maybe with a lock or large dog clip, that could be easily removed to allow maintenance.
If you can't do something like that then I'm not sure what to recommend. You may also want to call the Pennsylvania Game Comission and report the issue to them, and see if they have any recommendations.
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GomerPile
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# Posted: 21 Nov 2012 09:21am
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Buy a 1/4" masonry bit and drill a 45+ degree hole thru the lid and into the tank wall. Drop in an easily removable pin into the hole.
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Ann
Member
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# Posted: 21 Nov 2012 04:35pm
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Thanks to all for the thoughts and ideas. I will try securing the lids with additional screws/pins.
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gww87
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# Posted: 21 Nov 2012 05:15pm
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Once the bears begin this behavior it is very hard to keep them from tearing up things. Usually it's just one. State should trap and release somewhere safe for the bear. If not sounds like you'll be warm in cold months with a nice bear skin.
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Malamute
Member
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# Posted: 21 Nov 2012 08:09pm - Edited by: Malamute
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Hot wires (like cattle fences) work well for discouraging bears. You can get a solar charger, battery, light posts and the ribbon type wire for a temp setup. After a buzz or two they will leave things alone.
Here's a youtube of tests,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sv2G-aRDvyY
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Patgreat
Member
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# Posted: 26 Nov 2012 12:03pm
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I also have a cabin in Northern PA, i am in Pike county and they added a second 4 day bear season this year. Its the last 4 days of Riffle season for buck. The bear population has recovered and with the human population growing bears are being fed more and more and that is leading to the strange behavior you are seeing. I have seen more bears in the last 2 years then i did the last 10 years combined. And the encounters have been way to close for my liking
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bldginsp
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# Posted: 6 Feb 2013 09:27pm
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Try putting numerous small bottles full of full strength ammonia around the lids. Even with the lids on the bottles the bears can smell it and most animals with good sense of smell hate ammonia. this scares off dogs pretty well, maybe bears.
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exsailor
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# Posted: 8 Feb 2013 11:54am
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In West Virginia the bears have got smart. They have figured out how to tear down supended feeders. People have have to start suspending feeders on a winched cable system between two trees well a part. A friend still has a 6 volt battery with teeth marks through the battery case, from one feeder torn down by a bear.
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jjlrrw
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# Posted: 8 Feb 2013 12:54pm
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Quoting: exsailor People have have to start suspending feeders on a winched cable system between two trees well a part.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPsgZTFnOkk
Bears sure are interesting creatures
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Ann
Member
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# Posted: 26 Apr 2013 02:22pm
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First bear to appear this spring stole my bag of charcoal, leaving a trail of Kingsford briquets.
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toyota_mdt_tech
Member
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# Posted: 26 Apr 2013 05:31pm
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Ann, should be a snap to find out where he went.
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