ASPEN, Colo. -- Aspen is debating whether to get spray crab apple trees to stop the trees from producing food for bears.

While city officials don't believe the apples are drawing bears into town, the bears are eating the apples in addition to trash, Chris Forman, forester with the city Parks Department told the Aspen Times.

The newspaper reported the city of Aspen is considering a plan to treat the trees next spring with a spray when the blossoms are peaking. The spray breaks down into a chemical produced naturally by plants; it would trigger the trees to abort the production of fruit for that season. If the plan is approved, it would be an experiment next spring, involving only some trees.

By the way, Aspen no longer plants that variety of tree. Instead, it now plants a spring snow crab apple that produces beautiful, white flowers, according to Foreman, but no fruit.