If you haven't done so already, now's the time to clean your trees of fruit before the bears have a chance to get to them, says Northern Bear Awareness.
Although it's good practice to prevent the animals from feeding on unnatural food sources during the entire time they're out, it's "particularly important" in the late-summer and early-autumn as they go into overdrive in their searches for calories to fatten up for hibernation.
If you're unable to pick or use your fruit, you can connect with people who would like to harvest your crop through the Fruit Exchange program on Facebook. Simply cutting down an unwanted fruit tree and replacing it with a non-fruit-bearing species is also worth thinking about.
"In high-bear-use areas, an electric fence is an effective method to deter bears - electric fences are safe and easy to set up," the non-profit group added in a statement.
On average, 33 "problem bears" are killed in Prince George each year, usually drawn to unnatural food sources and then becoming a menace to people living in the area.
For more information about managing attractants, go to www.NorthernBearAwareness.com. NBA can also be reached via email. NBASociety@gmail.com, and phone, 778-281-2327.
