It’s spring — the weekend weather notwithstanding — so Michigan’s 12,000 bears will soon be waking up from hibernation, if not already out again.

As the weather warms, thousands of hungry black bears across northern Michigan will leave their dens and go hunting for food that could include bird seed, pet food and garbage.

Wildlife experts from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources urge residents to be diligent this spring by removing bird feeders and pet food from outdoors, using bear-resistant garbage cans and keeping grills and patio furniture clean.

More than 10,000 black bears live in the Upper Peninsula. Another 2,000 or so reside in the northern Lower Peninsula, with the bear population slowly expanding south. Unfettered access to calorie-rich foods such as bird seed can turn them into repeat visitors to residents’ homes and lead to dangerous situations for people, livestock and pets, the DNR advised in a news release.

“Removing food sources now before they attract bears and other wildlife can save you time, money and stress, and keep the animals safely foraging at a distance for the rest of the year,” said Jared Duquette, a DNR wildlife biologist who specializes in human-wildlife interactions.

As preventative measures, the DNR suggests:

— Remove bird feeders, especially when conditions become consistently warm enough to provide an abundance of natural food sources available. Those who enjoy watching birds in the yard should consider replacing feeders with bird baths or nest boxes or planting native flowers and grasses that attract birds year after year.

— Bring in outdoor pet foods and keeping grills and patio furniture clean. A bear’s nose can smell food up to a mile away. While you may not be able to smell the spills on your patio, a bear can.

–Secure garbage cans indoors overnight. Taking the trash out in the morning may seem inconvenient, but it’s far easier than cleaning up scattered trash that has been left out overnight.

— Use bear-resistant garbage cans. Because bears are smart enough and motivated enough to get into trash cans, consider using certified bear-resistant containers that have passed a formal procedure to keep them out.

— Protect beehives with electric fencing. Keep your bees and beehives safe by installing an electric fence. Recommendations can be found in this publication: Protect Your Beehives from Black Bears.

According to BearWise, bears can lose more than 30% of their body weight over their winter fast. Most bears emerge from their dens drowsy and lethargic and spend their first few days drinking water or eating snow before they begin nibbling on plants that help clear their kidneys and digestive system.

Bears eat lightly at first and look for old berries, rose hips and acorns along with winterkill carcasses. Eventually they will go in search of more substantial meals, so now is a good time to make sure anything around your property that could possibly attract a hungry bear is stored out of sight, smell and reach.

To learn more about preventing conflicts with bears this spring, go online to Michigan.gov/Wildlife or contact the DNR Wildlife Division at 517-284-9453.