I think you are wise to be Bear conscious before you start composting.

If your primary focus is to compost kitchen wastes, then you probably should not do an outdoor pile.

It is possible to compost in the garage without being stinky or vile. If you look around on this forum you should see a post aboust composting in garbage cans. Its a pretty common method of composting that would work well in a garage.

I don't live in bear country so do not have personal experience in trying to compost where they live, just what I have read and seen on the many nature programs. I have camped in bear country a few times and have always been reminded by the Park Rangers about safety precautions and think the Joepyeweed is right about sorting it all out before you begin.

I guess that b&b stands for bed and breakfast, so you would probably have more kitchen scraps than the average family. This could perhaps mean more to deal with in trying to compost in garbage cans in the garage. I think that either way, you will have to have an adequate amount of Browns (carbon source). I have found that with an abundance of dead leaves (preferably shredded) to mix in my compost pile and to cover it up with, there is no odor to attract coons or other critters. A bear's nose might be more sensitive however, I don't know.

I think that it takes something very strong to keep a hungry bear out, from what I have seen. Like in Yellowstone those heavy steel garbage cans chained down or in strong log enclosures.

Good luck and keep us posted on how you deal with this.
Bill P.

My family used to own a cabin in Northern Wisconsin and it would get ransacked by bears occaisionally, so I am somewhat familiar.

Bill P. mentioned that you would need a good source brown materials to balance out the kitchen waste. I agree and I would like to mention that the majority of the browns in my pile is shredded junk mail. Everyone has junk mail they need to dispose. (Though you would probably want to get a shredder to compost it.)

There was a great article on this in an Organic Gardening magazine of times past. It mentioned a way to keep bears out: fencing the pile, and a way to *use* the bears!

One composter apparently kept a very large pile. When he wanted it turned, he'd dig a hole down the middle of the pile, stick a pipe into it, and pour bacon grease down into the bottom. Then he'd leave the door to the compost fence open. The bears then dug into the compost, trying to find the bacon! They turned the pile for him.

I am not recommending anything, just passing on information and an anecdote.

I'm surprised I never considered this problem, even when we had bear and moose tracks in our drive, had free-roaming chickens and ducks. We really did not have a problem, and I had compost piles in several places as well as the above mentioned temptations. We have moved, and the tracks are across the road. I've always avoided composting butchering waste, etc, wonder if that makes the difference. Come to think of it, even though it was obvious the bear had been in the yard (and sunned themselves out on the road) they didn't even go after our feeders. Camps, largely inhabitated only irregularly do get raided around here. I wonder if we are safe just by the frequent presence of people. Hoards of teens, dogs. I think you are wise to be cautious, my only suggestion is to watch meat waste.

Why not ship it up to Moosenee, Ontario and let the polar bears have a go at it.
The tourists that flock to the garbage dump just to see the bears would be quizzical I'm sure if they found out it was being shipped from the States.....rather than to the States (Michigan) which is now the norm.

I'm sure your guests too will be more at ease.

I've composted in bear country for about 8 years now--2 in my current location. Last summer was the first time that I ever saw a bear (or evidence of a bear) anywhere near the house. I have about 10 acres outside of town (Fairbanks), surrounded on 3 sides by undeveloped woods.

The bear--surprisingly it was a grizzly, not a black bear--was a youngish bear who had been hanging around town for several weeks. It walked right past my compost pile (I have 3 bins 4-foot by 4-foot by 3-feet high or so in a row) and knocked over the trash can that was nearby. The trash cans only had shredded leaves and sawdust, so smells weren't attracting the bear. Obviously the bear had become acclimated to tipping over trash cans for food. It hung out for a few minutes before trotting away into the woods. Needless to say, we kept the dog on a leash for a week after that.

So, since I know I'm in bear country, I'll tell you what I do. (I'm also sort of a lazy composter, so I don't usually post on this hot-bed of fanaticism!) I do compost kitchen scraps and fish skeletons and crab shells and grouse parts, but I always cover the potentially smelly stuff with a 2-3 inch layer of dead leaves or sawdust or old straw, and a 1-inch layer of dirt. I tend to keep the pile a little on the dry side, mostly because the hose doesn't quite reach my main compost pile, and I'm sort of a fanatic about conserving water (although for what the well cost, I really should be using the bloody thing constantly!).

This has worked for me. Now, I'm not producing as much kitchen waste as a b-and-b might, and I have access to lots and lots of brown material, since I'm surrounded by woods. Good luck with your bears!
Emily in FRIGID Fairbanks

Hi emily ak and bruce z...this forum a hot bed of fanaticism...like to fell off my chair with laughter...:-) There are a few that will provide methods that might come from the likes of voodoo and witchcraft...some that will provide answers that you will need a PHD degree to figure out what the h--- is being said...and then there are a few that like to keep things simple and on a level that most can understand. I like the later...:-) Here in Maine our population of black bears is healthy and well spread out. I have not had a bear get into any of my compost bins in a span of over fifty years...living in various locations. If your handy with tools you can build compost bins that bears cannot get into...using a variety of materials. If you don't know which end of a hammer to use...consult a contractor. Good bins...well built...will last a long time and be worth the effort. Think about it...and keep it simple...Franklin