Early April, the silent alarm that awakens black bears from their winter slumber, is here — and the bears will be hungry.

Bears occasionally search for something to eat around homes until natural foods emerge.

“Early to mid-April, they're going to start to emerge from the dens. The biggest thing is when they come out of the den, they're looking for food. In the early spring, there's not a lot of food,” said Randy Pilarcik, the Pennsylvania Game Commission game warden for southern Butler County.

Some bears will seek out garbage, bee hives, grills, bird food and pet food left outside of homes until natural foods appear in the woods.

“Garbage cans left out at night, could be bird feeders, which is a big attractant, pet food left outside — that will definitely draw them in,” Pilarcik said.

The commission does not have county population numbers, but the statewide bear population is estimated at 18,000 to 20,000. Bears inhabit every county in the state, according to the game commission.

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