AGAWAM — Warmer weather means bears are active again, and officials are reminding people to look out for visitors to their back yards.

“The concern is the safety for the habitats and the children playing in their backyard, with the weather being nice,” Agawam City Councilor Dino Mercadante said recently. “There needs to be a ready response when there is a menacing bear that people can turn to.”

Allison Strong, the town’s animal control officer, said bear encounters are normal for this time of year.

“There isn’t an overpopulation or anything on those lines; every April 1, when bears start coming around, people tend to have this reaction, and there is very little being done to prevent this,” said Strong.

She said bears are naturally attracted to human properties as a source of food — in bird feeders and gardens. A state bear expert agreed.

“Black bears are naturally vegetarian, so by removing the birdseed and even putting wired fencing around gardens to prevent bears from getting in,” homeowners can make their property less attractive to bears, said Dave Wattles, the black bear project leader for the state Division of Fisheries and Wildlife.

MassWildlife also recommends homeowners to keep their barbecue grills clean, keep trash bags in a secure building or container until pickup day, and not to leave bowls of pet food outside.

The state agency advises remaining calm and backing away when encountering a bear, speaking in a calm voice if the bear shows curiosity and making threatening noises if it moves closer. Only if the bear begins actively attacking a person does MassWildlife suggest fighting back, using bear spray (pepper spray), kicking or whatever weapon is available. Dog owners should not rush a bear that is fighting with their dog; instead, they should make loud noises to frighten the bear away, then retrieve the dog once the bear is gone, and take it to a veterinarian.

At the April 4 meeting of the City Council, Mercadante said there seem to be more bears about this year than previous years.

“They’re really brazen,” he added. “It’s getting rather dangerous.”

Strong suggested that bear sightings may be on the rise because of a decrease in the intensity of winter weather in recent years. Milder winters mean more bear cubs survive to the spring, she said, which means more each bear has to range farther to find its food.

She said when there are multiple reports of bears, however, it’s generally the same one or two active bears being spotted at several properties. If a bear shows aggressive or erratic behavior, environmental officials may have to relocate it away from people. Strong said anyone with concerns about bears in Agawam should call her at 726-9754, or visit mass.gov/bears.

Michael Ballway of Reminder Publishing contributed to this report.