Phenology with Pam Perry: Living with bears, fawns, mosquitoes in June

In June 2024’s installment of Monthly Phenology with Pam Perry, we learn about the seasonal dynamics and behaviors of bears, mosquitoes and much more.

• Introduction (0:00-0:29) 
• Bears (0:30-4:06) 
• Doe and fawn sighting (4:07-6:10) 
• Animal behavior (6:11-8:01) 
• Mosquitoes (8:02-14:49) 
• Birds that eat mosquitoes (14:50-16:06) 
• Calendars/ornithological summer (16:07-17:13) 
• Nesting birds (17:14-19:50) 

For black bears, June is a month of transition. Young cubs, born last winter, begin to add larger portions of solid food to their mostly milk diet. Yearling cubs must make the hard transition to living independently, as their mother readies herself to mate and bear another litter of cubs.

Mother bears are typically willing to allow female yearlings access to part of their range, so mothers and daughters often become neighbors. Male cubs disperse longer distances in search of new homes in proximity to unrelated females.

Female bears without cubs start to gain weight and select mates. Adult males roam long distances in search of potential mates. Female bears often mate with multiple males, producing litters of half-sibling cubs.

In addition to these changes to family structure, June also is a time of dietary change. The young, tender greens that were the main food source throughout May have become tougher and harder to digest. At the same time, staple foods like berries, fruits and nuts have not yet ripened. Despite the seeming abundance, June is a comparatively lean month. Mothers with cubs stop losing weight, while bears without cubs gain weight slowly.

Contributed

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Courtney Celley/USFWS via Flickr

With plant-based food sources becoming less digestible in June, bears turn to ants, carrion and whatever insects or small animals they can catch. Mothers pull apart logs to allow cubs to chow down on the ant larvae and pupae within. In poor habitats or conditions, formerly wild mother bears may begin raiding garbage or bird feeders to feed their cubs.

Yearling bears begin foraging on their own for the first time, forming seasonal habits and food preferences that will sustain them for a lifetime. At first, this means finding and opening ant colonies to eat the pupae within. By July, they must find areas with enough ripe berries, fruits and nuts to sustain them through winter.

This newfound freedom can lead a young bear down a dangerous path, however. With a hungry belly, inquisitive mind and no mother to reinforce caution, yearling bears are likely to raid unsecured garbage cans and bird feeders. If not dissuaded, they can quickly become dependent on these food sources, more habituated to humans and forget how to feed themselves in the wild.

To prevent impressionable young bears from becoming dependent and a nuisance, it’s important to remove or reduce access to attractants like garbage, grills, bird feeders and animal feed. Learn more about living alongside bears from organizations like BearWise, the Minnesota DNR or the North American Bear Center.

For more phenology, <b class="rte2-style-bold">subscribe</b> to our Season Watch Newsletter or visit the Season Watch Facebook page.

Funding for this project was provided by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR).