Nancy Roach, of Middlesex Township, stands in front of her broken porch fence that she said was damaged by a bear.

The intruder crawled onto the porch around 2:30 a.m. Wednesday, scaring Middlesex Township resident Nancy Roach and her daughter, Holly.

After toppling trash cans and making a ruckus, he left by way of the porch gate — which he broke in the process.

His behavior was unbearable, to say the least.

Having a black bear stomping through your yard isn't the exactly the best wake-up call, according to Nancy Roach.

“He was on my porch,” Nancy said. “(And he) completely ripped off the gate.”

The Roaches have had a visit from a bear before, according to Nancy. But never like Wednesday's.

Nancy said Holly heard the bear first. She was able to get a photo before the furry visitor ambled away.

“She saw it,” Nancy said. “By the time she (came) back to wake me up, it had already left.”

Down the road from where the Roaches live on Old Route 8 north is a posted bear crossing sign.

Black bears are a fixture of Pennsylvanian wildlife and are common in Butler County.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission offers specific guidance on how to peacefully coexist with them.

One of the biggest reasons for a black bear to wander into neighborhoods and yards is the draw of food.

The game commission says bears eat food intended for humans, birds, pets and livestock as well as garbage and produce growing on trees or in gardens. Bears also find cornfields and beehives inviting.

And once they find a place to snack, they're hard to get rid of.

“They say don't put any food out,” Nancy said, adding she didn't have any bird seed out or food waste in her trash cans.

Feeding bears is against the law in Pennsylvania. It's also illegal to feed any wildlife that may cause bears to congregate in an area.

The Game Commission offers two courses of action if you encounter bears.

One option is to make loud noises from a distance to scare the bear away.

The other is to leave it alone and clean up later.

Either way, the Game Commission advises property owners to make sure anything that may be attracting a bear is cleared away.

Attacks are rare, but the Game Commission cautions people not to approach a bear.

For more information about bears and what to do if you encounter one, visit the game commission website at www.pgc.pa.gov/Wildlife/WildlifeSpecies/BlackBear/Pages/LivingwithBlackBears.aspx.