When it comes to home security, modern garage doors are designed to withstand attempts from intruders, ensuring that your property and belongings remain safe. With reinforced construction, smart locks, and advanced alarm systems, a garage door can effectively deter human burglars and even some wildlife. However, there is one persistent and incredibly determined intruder that can often outsmart even the most secure doors: the bear.
Bears and Their Unlikely Skill
Bears are incredibly intelligent animals with strong problem-solving abilities. Their natural curiosity, paired with their strength and dexterity, makes them formidable when they decide to gain access to a garage. Bears have been known to lift garage doors, trigger manual release mechanisms, or even break through seemingly sturdy structures when the allure of food or interesting smells is strong enough.
Unlike human intruders, who are deterred by alarms or smart locks, bears use their sheer strength and clever paws to manipulate garage doors. This unique combination of power and intelligence puts them in a category all their own when it comes to security threats.
Why Do Bears Target Garages?
Garages can be a treasure trove for bears, especially in areas close to forests or parks. The scent of food, pet food, bird seed, or even the faint aroma of garbage can attract a bear from a significant distance. Once a bear picks up a scent, its natural instincts kick in, leading it to explore and search for the source. Garages are particularly attractive because they often house these tempting smells and can seem like an easy target compared to the main house.
How Bears Manage to Open Garage Doors
Bears have developed a knack for getting into garages by using several methods:
- Manipulating Manual Release Levers: Many automatic garage doors have a manual release lever that allows for the door to be opened without power. Some bears seem to have learned to pull these levers, giving them easy access or they’re extremely lucky.
- Using Their Strength: Bears are immensely strong and can sometimes lift or push a garage door with brute force, especially if the door has a weak point or is not secured at the bottom.
- Paw Dexterity: Bears have surprisingly nimble paws that can be used to grab, pull, and even twist objects. This ability allows them to interact with garage door mechanisms in ways that other animals or even humans wouldn’t expect.
Tips for Securing Your Garage Against Bears
While it’s difficult to make a garage door entirely bear-proof, there are several measures you can take to make it more challenging for a bear to break in:
- Install Reinforced Doors: A reinforced or heavy-duty garage door can add an extra layer of protection. Choose doors made from sturdy materials, such as steel, and ensure they have minimal gaps.
- Secure the Manual Release: Use a cover or lock for the manual release lever to prevent bears from pulling it and gaining access.
- Remove Temptations: The most effective way to prevent bear intrusions is to remove anything that might attract them. Store food, pet food, and garbage in sealed, odor-proof containers or keep them inside your home.
- Use Motion-Activated Lights and Alarms: While a determined bear might not be scared off by lights or noise, these deterrents can sometimes help by startling the animal and encouraging it to leave the area.
- Pray: We can all try to keep bears out of the garage but honestly if it happens, it happens. Just keep your distance and let them do their thing without aggravating it.
Your Garage Door’s Security Greatest Weakness is the Bear and Maybe a Speeding Vehicle
While modern garage doors are built to deter most types of intruders and withstand various forms of tampering, bears present a unique challenge. Their strength, intelligence, and dexterity allow them to break into garages that would otherwise be secure against human burglars or smaller animals. By understanding what attracts bears and reinforcing your garage’s defenses, you can minimize the risk of an unexpected visit from these powerful creatures.
Keeping your garage secure against all types of intruders, including the occasional bear, requires vigilance, smart planning, and a few extra precautions. Although no security system is completely bear-proof, taking steps to secure your garage can help protect your property and keep wildlife at a safe distance. The great thing about bears when it comes to their interactions with garages is the online content we get out of it. There are so many videos on YouTube of people who have found a bed just hanging out on their property. There’s something inherently funny about a bear slowly opening a garage door to get at someone’s garbage.