Question: A few years ago I got a bright (?) idea to minimize the possibility that bears might raid my food supply when I go camping in national forests. In addition to storing food in ice chests in my van with a tarp over them to disguise their presence, I sprinkled 10 or so mothballs in the van, thinking the mothball odor would be strong enough to block food odors that leaked from the coolers. Is this effective, or just a waste of time and mothballs?

Answer: Mothballs have been tried before with limited success. They may even be counterproductive. According to Department of Fish and Game (DFG) Bear, Mountain Lion and Wild Pig Program Coordinator Marc Kenyon, mothballs are generally made out of a neurotoxic chemical (1,4-dichlorobenzene (PDB)), which if ingested can cause serious health issues for humans and wildlife. Due to bears' highly developed sense of smell, they find the pungent odor of mothballs unique, which actually piques their interest. Placing mothballs in or around your camp (or vehicle) may attract bears to your location, thus increasing the chance of bears raiding your food cache.

There are better and safer options for protecting our bears and your food. You can use food storage lockers if they are available at your campsite to store food and trash, or use bear-resistant food storage canisters if you are backpacking. If no other options exist, store food and trash securely out of sight in your vehicle.

Remember, waking up in the morning and not having breakfast because a bear ate all your food is a good way to ruin an otherwise enjoyable camping trip. Proper storage of food and trash can help prevent a negative bear encounter from happening. That's good for you and good for bears.