Colorado bear encounters are surging. Here's how to keep bears out of your home.

Bears are looking for food, and that means more of them are showing up in Colorado communities.

Among other things, David Blake with Outside Insights helps homeowners bear-proof their properties and identify potential entry points before a bear finds them.

"The bear population, because of the drought, is coming out into, I think, a lot more communities," Blake said.

Blake said homeowners can take several simple steps to reduce the chances of a bear getting into their home.

"There are a lot of very simple techniques that you know can help you maybe go a long way to keeping you from having a true bear encounter," Blake said.

That includes looking closely at windows, securing doors, and properly storing any food or trash.

Blake says even if trash cans are hidden behind walls or other barriers, bears can still smell and access them. Homeowners should make sure trash is securely covered and inaccessible to bears.

One inexpensive bear deterrent Blake considers is a nail board, which can be placed beneath vulnerable windows. He says the goal isn't to injure a bear, but to make the area uncomfortable enough that the animal moves away.

"About three quarters of an inch or an inch. Don't want it to stick out too far," Blake said. "You just have to make it so it's uncomfortable. Don't have to be aggressive."

"You are creating a hazard for a reason, and it's a hazard to everything. It's a hazard to your dog. It's a hazard to a person, you know, not just a bear. So you can certainly put up signs for when you're not there, but yeah, you have to be mindful of it," Blake said.

Another option Blake recommends is an electric mat.

The Colorado Bear Coalition encourages homeowners to consider electric mats instead of nail boards because they can reduce the risk of injury to bears, people, and pets.

"[A nail board] could inadvertently puncture a bear's paw, and that could lead to infection, not to mention you may wake up with blood all over your front porch," Brenda Lee with the Colorado Bear Coalition said.

Lee says while electric mats may be a bit more expensive than a nail board, they can also sometimes be loaned or given away for free through local organizations and non-profits.

"I just think it has lower risk of harm," Lee said about the electric mats.

With bear incidents reaching record levels this season, experts say the goal is to keep bears away from homes without unnecessarily harming them.

"It's just that it's such a tough season, and it's really hard. It's really hard. So we just got to keep doing our best to keep them out of harm," Lee said.

According to Colorado Parks and Wildlife, bears are entering hyperphagia, where they bulk up for winter, and the lack of their usual food sources is pushing them into neighborhoods in search of food.