Q: I live in a community in south-central Florida. We have 3 resident sandhill cranes. They are a delight to watch, and everyone enjoys having them around. However, we have a problem with them: They are digging holes in lawns and pecking and destroying screens. One resident has solved the problem with the holes in the lawn by spraying the cranes with the hose. We are unable to come up with a solution to the pecking at the screens, and I was wondering if you could help us. Thank you -- Pauline Crane, Lake Placid

A: Hi, Pauline, I have to ask: Are you related?

(Sorry!)

As they say, cranes will be cranes. Their behavior isn't charming you, though. By digging holes in the ground, the sandhill cranes are looking for food. I would bet that their screen pecking is also a way to get food; I would bet that one or more of your neighbors has been feeding the cranes outside or near their screened-in patios, and their pecking is a way of saying, "Hey! Bring on the grub!"

This is a perfect example of why it's never a good idea to feed any wildlife. They become dependent on handouts, and they can become aggressive (like your cranes). When wildlife become too used to people, it also makes it easy for a person with ill intentions to harm the wildlife. So the best policy, if you really love wildlife, is to leave them alone.

If that's not enough, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has passed a restriction on feeding sandhill cranes and other wildlife, dishing out fines and jail time to people who are caught intentionally feeding animals.

(I'm not trying to preach to you, Pauline, but simply providing info to anyone who may come to this Web page with a similar problem or a question about feeding wildlife.)

Because the sandhill cranes are essentially destroying your property, I would say to:

• Talk to your neighbors about not feeding the cranes.
  
  
• Call your local wildlife specialists at Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (for you, that would be 863-648-3203), and tell them what's happening. They may want to relocate the cranes, or they may have some behavior-modification techniques you can use on the cranes (such as spraying water on them).

It's really great of you to put your energy into this concern, because another time, it may be a neighbor not simply spraying the cranes, but poisoning or shooting them. I hope you, your neighborhood and the wildlife specialists can solve the problem.

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