The cold and snow of winter is behind us, and with the warmer temperatures comes the awakening of dormant wildlife, including black bears.

"Carbon County is an ideal habitat for black bears," Wildlife Conservation Officer Cory Bentzoni said, pointing out the forests and wetlands of the area. "Any place that has a good, steady food source, such as blueberries and acorns. That pretty much describes Carbon County."While recent temperatures have been very accommodating to plant growth, food sources for black bears are scant.Bentzoni said that the large amount of food produced by humans tends to attract the bears to populated areas.Outdoor trash cans containing food waste can be particularly appealing, in addition to bird feeders containing seeds and nuts.Bentzoni recommends sprinkling some powdered lime on top of a sealed trash bag to reduce the smell, and keeping the can inside the house or a storage shed until the morning of trash pickup, if possible.Kathy Uhler, who works with the Pocono Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center, has a strategy for groups such as commuters, who may have to set the trash out early."What we tell people to do is affix a suet feeder to the inside of a garbage can, and insert a sponge that's been soaked in ammonia," she said. "The smell of ammonia keeps a lot of animals out of the garbage."As far as bird feeders go, Uhler recommended taking them down in spring, and putting them back up around Thanksgiving.Bentzoni said that the birds are capable of finding their own sustenance, and that the feeders are not necessary. But if you like to keep them around, it is advisable to secure them inside the house or shed at night."Two weeks ago, we had a bird feeder hanging from my house, and a mother and two cubs crawled up the side of the house," Jim Thorpe resident Bill Solomon said. "They were just sitting right on the sill. It's just amazing, the size of their paws."Solomon said that the people of Jim Thorpe are very familiar with black bears, and usually comfortable living around them. Residents have picked up on the same precautions offered by Bentzoni and Uhler to avoid attracting the bears."Another thing that attracts them is charcoal grills," Bentzoni said. "The smell of the grease on the grill draws them out, and they lick the grease off the grill. It's another high-calorie food source for them."Preventing this is as simple as cleaning the grill grates with a bleach and water solution.Uhler stressed that while bears and bear cubs may be cute, you should never attempt to engage them in any way."The king of all rules is that no one should feed bears, period," she said, pointing out that this does happen.And if you happen to have any outdoor animals, you can generally rest easy knowing that bears have little interest in starting a fight with your dog. While pet food can attract a bear's attention, it is not inclined to attack another animal unless it perceives a threat to itself or its young."Bears do not like conflict. They do not want conflict. Any type of injury just slows them down and makes it more difficult to survive," Bentzoni said. "When we have incidents with dogs, it's usually a female with cubs. It knows that a canine is a threat to its babies. The mother is going to do what any mother is going to do, and the dog is usually not the winner."In the event that you do spot a bear rooting through your garbage, Bentzoni has some advice."First thing, do not approach the animal, but make as much noise as possible. Any loud, sharp noise will usually scare them off," he said, pointing out that air horns are a good thing to have on hand.Uhler said,"We tell the kids to stand up tall, put their hands on their heads, and yell, 'Go away bear! Go away!' That usually works."Above all, if you are indoors, do not go outdoors and attempt to chase the animal away. This could be interpreted as a threat, and the bear will defend itself, especially if you are trying to keep it away from food.Uhler said her group has hardly ever relied upon trapping in order to remove a bear from a property. Thetips are usually enough to prevent encounters."Every one of those situations was easily resolvable. If you take away what's attracting them, they'll stay out of your yard," she said.No matter what, it seems almost inevitable that area residents will have some encounters with black bears. But with some simple precautions, safety tactics and basic knowledge, you can usually ensure your safety, and that of the bear, too."The biggest thing is, always be aware that you live in an area with black bears. Always be aware, and respect the animal. Never get between a female and her cubs, or a male and his food," Bentzoni said.