Keep the Critters out of Your Trash
When you put your garbage outside at night, you don't want to wake up and see it strewn about your lawn. This is not only a problem for people who live in the country, it happens in the suburbs and even in the city. Bears, raccoons, and even sometimes cats and dogs will knock over a trashcan and tear into the trash looking for food.
So, what can you do to avoid this problem? Here are some suggestions.
Buy Scented Garbage Bags
The first step should be scented garbage bags. These have a heavy scent, usually a pine smell that is used to mask the smell of trash. Some people use them because they find the smell of garbage offensive. However, it is also useful in preventing animals from smelling the trash.
Wash out Your Trash Bin with Heavy Duty Cleaners
Unfortunately, animals have a much better sense of smell then humans. So, even if you don't smell the trash, and think that the pine scented garbage bags are working, they might not be enough. You need to go an extra step and scent the entire garbage bin.
Use a heavy duty cleaner, like undiluted bleach, or a commercial cleaner that has a pine scent. Pour it into the bin and make sure to scrub the entire inside. Plus, don't forget about the outside. Every inch of the bin needs to be completely cleaned to remove any lingering scent of trash.
Once you wash the bin out completely, you should do an upkeep washing once every week.
Put Your Garbage Bins in Prison
While cats and dogs can be prevented from tearing up your garbage if you use trashcans with secure lids, bears and raccoons are another story. These creatures are rapacious and will get inside even the best designed lids. If you have a plastic bin, they might just tear right through the side with their claws.
The way to deal with this is to build or buy a box that will house the trash. The most basic design is a box that is made using fencing cage and steel poles. You can hire a contractor to build you one. It should swing open from the front so that the bins don't need to be lifted out from above.
You could also have them built with cedar or wood lattice. These are more decorative, but not as strong. If you are only dealing with raccoons, then these would work. However, bears might simply smash through the lattice.
If you are dealing with bears, but don't want steel fencing, you might want to build a plywood enclosure, like this one. These are solid, can be painted to match your house, and are bear resistant. For more tips, talk to a garbage disposal professional like B-P Trucking Inc.
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