It’s late summer and fruit trees including peaches, plums, apples and pears have ripened. This abundance in fruit can attract animals including skunks, raccoons and black bears. It also has the potential to result in a negative human-wildlife encounters. Let’s work together to keep us and the animals safe.
- Below are 3 tips to help you manage your fruit trees:
- Pick fallen fruit off the ground, or better yet, remove all fruit while still on the tree and let it ripen indoors.
- Research ‘gleaning’ organizations near you. Gleaning means to “gather what is left”. These (often volunteer-based) organizations pick your excess fruit and redistribute it throughout the community to reduce food waste. An example is the Vancouver Fruit Tree Project.
- Rethink and plan your landscaping carefully. The Get Bear Smart Society recommends removing all fruit trees and berry bushes in heavy-use human areas, particularly near entrance-ways and children’s play areas.
Good fruit tree management is a win-win: we get to enjoy the fruits of our labour and we help prevent negative situations for wildlife!
