Bears

[Doug Yanega]

>Five years
>ago I collected in same locations, and in late summer bears destroyed the
>traps in two locations and ate the alcohol-soaked insects.  The bears
>served to make my research a little more interesting than expected but I'd
>like to avoid any further bear actions. Has anyone had experience with
>this problem? Any bear repellant suggestions would be helpful.

You don't say how frequently you visit the traps, or how the material
collected is being used. It might be possible to use a dry trap head, if
quality of specimens is not an issue. Assuming the problem is that the
bears go after the trap intentionally, rather than a question of them
accidentally knocking it over and eating up the spilled insects, you also
might alternatively try a habanero pepper extract on the outside of the
trap head, replenishing it each time you visit. That's a pretty good
repellent - just try giving some to a dog some time - they know to steer
clear of it (wiser than some people, myself included)!
;-)

Peace,


Doug Yanega       Dept. of Entomology           Entomology Research Museum
Univ. of California - Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521
phone: (909) 787-4315 (standard disclaimer: opinions are mine, not UCR's)
                http://insects.ucr.edu/staff/yanega.html
  "There are some enterprises in which a careful disorderliness
        is the true method" - Herman Melville, Moby Dick, Chap. 82