3 Ways to Keep Your Lawn Free of Pest Birds

You take great pride in your lawn. You feed it, weed it, mow it and admire it. But most importantly, you want to protect it.

One threat to your lawn is the activity of pest birds. In particular, large birds like geese and ducks who often graze on green lawns, leaving ugly bare patches. Or annoying, busy-body birds like crows who can quickly ruin a beautiful lawn by digging for grubs. The divots they leave can leave a lawn looking shoddy and damaged. There’s also the accumulation of bird droppings, which is not only unsightly but infested with diseases like E. coli and Salmonella. You don’t want that on your lawn, especially if you have children playing on it.

Compounding the problem is the fact that nesting geese and ducks can also be quite territorial. If they feel threatened while grazing on your lawn they will go after small children and pets.

As a homeowner, you know better than to go after these protected birds with poisons or pellet guns—especially if you have children, pets and sensitive neighbors. You also know from past experience that simply blasting pest birds with a garden hose is fairly ineffective—unless you stand guard with a hose 24/7. You’ve come to realize that the only way to keep pest birds away from your lawn is to implement the effective and humane deterrents used by professional bird control experts. Here are three bird deterrents that will do the trick:

Scarecrow

Easily attached to any garden hose, Scarecrow's hit invading birds with a harmless blast of water. Perfect for lawns, the Scarecrow uses just 2 to 3 cups of water per spray, yet covers a full 1,200 square feet with a stream that reaches out 35 feet and 45 feet wide. The scarecrow stands guard, day and night for up to 6 months (over 1,000 "firings") on a single 9-volt battery.

Hawk Decoy

Most birds avoid any areas where hawks are present. Place one or two of these hawk decoys in a highly visible position and say good-bye to pest birds converging on your lawn.  It’s important to get quality made realistic looking decoys, and to move them around often to convince birds the decoys are a “live” threat.  Some decoys are hollow at the base so you can fill them with sand for added stability. 

Sonic Goose Deterrents

Ideal for large lawns,  Sonic Goose Deterrents broadcast goose distress and predator calls that resemble normal bird sounds to humans (so they won’t irritate pets or your friends and neighbors).  If you’ve got all manner of birds attacking your lawn,  get the Goose-B-Gone Supersonic system. It can emit distress and predator calls of geese. This unit covers up to an acre and can be programmed to turn on or off at night.

Homeowners…Got Geese? Get Goose Control!

If your home is close to the ocean, a river, lake, reservoir, or large pond, you’ve probably had a run-in with geese. They munch on your lawn and on your aquatic and decorative plants. Canada geese will do even more damage, weighing up to 24 pounds, they can trample most gardens flat, leave a huge mess, and even chase small pets and toddlers, giving them quite a scare.

If you have any type of water feature—pool, spa, fountain or pond—they can quickly contaminate it with droppings. These droppings can cause bacterial and algae problems. They also carry diseases, including swimmer’s itch, histoplasmosis, toxoplasmosis and giardia.

If you’re tempted to use pellet guns, poisons or other lethal means, keep in mind that Canada geese are a protected species under state and federal law.  It’s illegal to hunt or kill them. Only humane goose deterrents are allowed.  So what can you do?

For starters, you should clear away any tall reeds and plants around your home. You should also increase the angle of any embankments near water around your home. Once you’ve done that, it's wise to invest in some effective, humane goose deterrents. Fortunately, there are several you can choose to get rid of geese:

Goose-B-Gone Super Sonic Goose Deterrent

This advanced sound goose deterrent system broadcasts a series of pre-recorded goose distress calls. The calls are recorded in their natural habitat and repeated every 10 minutes. Geese, being ever alert to danger, will avoid the area and move on. The ruggedly constructed unit is weather-resistant and comes with a built-in speaker that covers up to an acre of property. If you have a large property, you can add more speakers to ensure maximum coverage. The unit can be set to shut off automatically at night. And unlike other goose sound deterrents that play high-pitched ultrasonic noises (which geese can’t hear anyway), the Super Sonic won’t bother your neighbors or pets.

Scarecrow

Geese get a sobering but harmless surprise when they enter a Scarecrow’s radius of protection—a healthy blast of water from the Scarecrow’s sprinkler head. Geese will be persuaded by the water blast and opt not to return.  Scarecrows connect easily to most garden hoses and they cover 1,200 square feet  (about 35 feet by 45 feet). Both the sensitivity and the coverage area can be fine tuned to the needs of your yard.

Migrate Goose Repellent

Known as a taste-aversion goose repellent, Migrate is a non-toxic liquid that makes grass and other plants inedible to geese. The active ingredient--a grape extract known as Methyl Anthranilate--irritates a goose's trigeminal nerves and mucous membranes. Not to worry, it’s safe for use around people, geese and pets. This goose repellent comes in a gallon container, which is enough for about 16,000 square feet. The repellent lasts a full three months and won't wash off with rain or watering.

Getting Rid of Geese in Your Backyard

by Alex A. Kecskes
I
f you live on or near a lake, you no doubt will have a problem with geese. You can try firecrackers, dogs, and blasting them with a water hose, but they will return within a few days. Besides their annoying squawking and the smelly droppings they leave behind, geese have been known to carry bird flu. Known as avian flu, this disease is caused by a form of influenza virus that typically only infects birds. Yet, in some cases, the virus can be transmitted to humans by direct contact with birds. Experts are worried that the bird flu could mutate into a new form that can rapidly spread from person to person.

The only sure fire way to get rid of geese from your backyard is to use the kind of goose control measures the professionals use. These devices have been proven effective and humane.

Sonic Goose Deterrent

Designed to deter geese from large open spaces, backyards and gardens, these devices broadcast pre-recorded goose-distress calls that make geese far too nervous to hang around your property.The sounds are repeated every ten minutes to alert geese of imminent danger. The best sonic goose deterrents are weatherproof and designed to last outdoors. They come with a volume control and can even be programmed to turn on or off at night.Sonic goose deterrents typically come with an internal speaker that will cover big backyards—up to one acre. If you own a really large property, you can protect it from invading geese by adding more speakers to the unit. The additional speakers include 100 feet of wire and connect easily to the back of the unit.

Scarecrow Goose Deterrent

Imagine if you could stand guard 24/7 with a water hose, and the minute a goose wandered near your lawn or garden, you hit it with a sobering blast of water. Do you think geese would get the message that your property is off limits to them? Think of Scarecrows as your silent sentry, ever alert to the mere presence of geese. These motion-activated devices react instantly to any birds entering their zone of protection. They feature a realistic looking bird-like moving head that blasts water at invading birds who dare to enter a 1,200 square foot area that extends 35 feet out by 45 feet wide. Scarecrows connect easily to most garden hoses. You can even adjust a Scarecrow’s sensitivity and range to cover certain areas of your yard.

Scary Eye Balloons

Undoubtedly one of the most economical goose deterrents, Scary Eye Balloons work well when used in combination with the two deterrents mentioned above. These balloons feature a large, scary “mock” predator eyeball that makes geese feel far too uneasy to hang around. Easily hung on trees, patios, fences or any highly elevated area around your yard, these balloons bob and weave in the breeze to give them a lifelike quality.

Lakeside Eateries Seek Goose Control

by Terra Anders

It’s a warm summer day and for once the sun has decided not to work so hard.  The weather is finally cooperating, making it a lovely afternoon to meet friends at the little cafe next to the lake.  The agenda included a small table at the outdoor patio along the lake, a colorful iced drink decorated with a tiny umbrella, and some long awaited chit- chat with good friends. The last thing on the agenda was goose control.  It all seemed like a great idea at the time, but that was before those boisterous geese found out that there was a party going on.

A large gaggle of gregarious geese can be quite annoying to lakeside cafes and rest spots at the city parks. It’s hard to believe that these flourishing gangs of Canadian Geese were once quite rare.  Historically there was a time when goose control for these geese meant trying to increase their numbers, not decrease them.  Better management of local wetlands across the United States over the last half decade has left the Canadian Geese population quite abundant. In fact, they have not only become abundant but in many areas they are now considered pest birds.

Canada Geese seem to have a very high tolerance of the human population.  In fact, they often leave their life in the wild for city life.  Almost every golf course in the city has a lake or two.  It is not uncommon for housing developments to be built on the outskirts of protected wetlands.  City parks are frequently centered around a lake or pond, where families of geese are the featured fowl. Since geese prefer a combination of wet and grassy terrain and an unobstructed view of both, these areas, these areas have become a paradise for geese.  They normally have an adequate food supply, and their natural predators are still looking for them in the wild. The problem is that wherever there are large populations of geese, there is likely a problem with unsightly, and sometimes unhealthy goose droppings. It’s impossible to stop bird droppings from happening, but it is not impossible to keep the problem to a minimum.

There are several approaches than can be taken to reduce the goose population in locations that the birds share with humans.  Keeping the geese down to a reasonable gaggle size can improve businesses’ outdoor sanitation and keep customers coming back. Most bird control experts agree that when it comes to geese, an integrated approach to control and maintenance is best. That is, use a combination of habitat modification along with proven goose deterrents.

Habitat modification, like removing tall vegetation around the lake can discourage long-term nesting, but this is often out of the hands of local businesses.  Businesses may be able to join together to see if the city can take some action to minimize the problem by adjusting the landscaping around the lake or in front of the restaurant or cafe areas. A discussion with a goose control expert would be a good place to start.  They can suggest what types of environmental modifications would best help, and these suggestions can be offered to the city for action.

Lakeside eateries still have several effective options to help deter geese from invading their property.  One of the most effective would be a kind of electronic deterrent designed specifically for geese. Weatherproof outdoor programmable sound system can easily be installed at the outskirts of the cafes’ patio area . These sound systems are designed to broadcast the sound of a goose call of danger. The call lasts for two minutes and repeats at ten minute intervals. This type of goose deterrent plays actual distress and alarm calls of Canada Geese recorded in their natural habitat. When geese hear these calls, their natural instinct is to flee the area.  Without the habitat modifications in place this option can provide some real relief for individual establishments by making geese think that that specific area is not a safe place for them to hang out.  One system can cover up to one acre.  Extra speakers can be added to the main unit to provide as much as three acres of coverage.

Some eateries keep a cute cafe canine posted at the lakeside property line. Dogs are the only predator that city geese have to deal with.  Having a goose guard dog on site can also deter these pest birds from thinking that their feeding zone includes the patio of the restaurant. Whatever the choice, property and business owners have several reliable methods to control birds like geese. Talking to a bird control expert is step one. Putting these methods to work are fast, easy and very reasonably priced.

Got Geese in Your Garden? Time for Effective Bird Control.

by Alex A. Kecskes

If you had geese trampling all over your garden and favorite plants last year, this is the time to implement an effective bird deterrent strategy. Besides ruining your favorite plants by physically trundling all over them, geese will leave smelly, disease-carrying droppings everywhere. If you have a pond or other water feature, they will contaminate it with their droppings and turn it into an odorous mess.

So how do you get rid of geese in your garden? You can use a water hose to discourage them, but unless you want to stand there 24/7, they’ll be back as soon as you go in the house. Some people have tried BB guns and poisons, but these methods are far too dangerous—especially if you have pets or children running around.
Fortunately, there are a number of humane and effective goose deterrents that will keep geese out of your garden.

Here are what the pros use:

Scarecrows

No, we’re not talking about the straw-stuffed mannequins you find in cornfields. These are high-tech, motion-activated sprinklers that douse geese with a sobering but harmless blast of water.  The very second a wandering or stubborn goose invades a scarecrow’s radius of protection, they get hit with a blast of water emerging from a realistic looking bird head. It doesn’t take long for geese to realize that your garden is a no-geese zone. Scarecrows are easily connected to your garden hose, and you can adjust their sensitivity and blast radius. They typically cover an an area of about 1,200 square feet (35-foot by 45-foot wide). And you can get up to 1,000 "firings" on a single 9-volt battery.

Scare Eye Diverters and Predator Eye Balloons

Working on the principle of visual intimidation, Scare Eye Diverters and Bird Scare Balloons sport big mock predator eyes that convince geese they are being watched and about to be attacked by a large predator.  These visual goose deterrents bob and weave in the breeze to give the impression of live movement. Diverters and balloons are easily affixed to patio covers, gazebos, tree branches, or any elevated area in your garden. The balloons can be filled partially with water to skim the surface of your pool, spa or water feature to keep geese away. All you have to remember with these deterrents is to move them around from time to time.

Sonic Goose Deterrents

Striking fear into the hearts of geese, Sonic Goose Deterrents broadcast a series of pre-recorded distress and predator calls over a wide area of your garden—up to one acre). The best sonic deterrents are desgined to withstand harsh outdoor weather. Look for units that can be programmed to shut off automatically at night.
Needless to say, when it comes to protecting your garden from invading geese, the best time to install these goose deterrents is before the geese arrive.
 

Homeowners, Say Hello to Sonic Deterrents…and Goodbye to Geese!

by Alex A. Kecskes

If you’re a homeowner who takes pride in her garden, pool or spa area, you’ll want to read this. It’s about what Canada Geese can do to your property. These geese will be migrating in the spring and fall over North America. They have long black necks, a white “chin strap,” and brownish grey feathers. If you see them landing on your property, you’ll want to invest in some goose deterrents.

If your home is near a lake, reservoir, or even a large pond, you’ll more than likely be invaded by geese. Homes near a river or seashore are just as vulnerable. Geese like to munch on grasses and aquatic plants. So you can say goodbye to those expensive, decorative plants if geese decide to pay you a visit. Geese have excellent homing capabilities, which means if you didn’t effectively deter them last year, they’ll be back this year. To prevent this, you’ll need to deter the geese with a humane and effective bird control strategy.

Canada geese are big enough to trample and destroy most gardens (they can weigh up to 24 lbs). They can also be quite aggressive, chasing small pets and toddlers with an annoying “honking” noise. In flight, geese can reach speeds up to 50 mph, so they can and will knock down a small child.  Since they are territorial birds, they will protect their nest and eggs from a human or house pet. To protect your home from geese, bird control experts have developed goose deterrents.

Geese are also not very hospitable when it comes to pools, uncovered spas, fountains or ponds. They’ll take a dump in or around them, contaminating these areas and leaving you with a time-consuming cleanup job.  Goose droppings can cause bacterial and algae problems. They carry diseases, including swimmer’s itch, histoplasmosis, toxoplasmosis and giardia. The parasite larvae crawl onto the skin and burrow under it, creating a red itchy rash.

As previously mentioned, to keep geese away from your home and property, you’ll need some serious goose deterrents. Banging pots, shooting BB guns and leaving poisons are ineffective and dangerous to pets and children. Fortunately, there are a number of deterrents currently available to homeowners that are both humane and effective.

One such deterrent is the Super Sonic Goose Deterrent. This advanced sound deterrent system plays recorded goose distress calls to deter geese from outdoor areas. The distress and alarm calls are recorded in their natural habitat and are played every ten minutes. Each system is sun- and weather-resistant (so you can use it outdoors) and features a built-in speaker that covers up to an acre of land. You can add more speakers to cover larger areas. An LCD panel on the front displays system status and shows your specific settings. For example, you can program the system to shut off automatically at night. And unlike other goose sound deterrents that play high-pitched ultrasonic noises, the Super Sonic is safe to use around animals and pets.
 

Homeowners, Say Hello to Sonic Deterrents…and Goodbye to Geese!

by Alex A. Kecskes

If you’re a homeowner who takes pride in her garden, pool or spa area, you’ll want to read this. It’s about what Canada Geese can do to your property. These geese will be migrating in the spring and fall over North America. They have long black necks, a white “chin strap,” and brownish grey feathers. If you see them landing on your property, you’ll want to invest in some goose deterrents.

If your home is near a lake, reservoir, or even a large pond, you’ll more than likely be invaded by geese. Homes near a river or seashore are just as vulnerable. Geese like to munch on grasses and aquatic plants. So you can say goodbye to those expensive, decorative plants if geese decide to pay you a visit. Geese have excellent homing capabilities, which means if you didn’t effectively deter them last year, they’ll be back this year. To prevent this, you’ll need to deter the geese with a humane and effective goose control strategy.

Canada geese are big enough to trample and destroy most gardens (they can weigh up to 24 lbs). They can also be quite aggressive, chasing small pets and toddlers with an annoying “honking” noise. In flight, geese can reach speeds up to 50 mph, so they can and will knock down a small child.  Since they are territorial birds, they will protect their nest and eggs from a human or house pet. To protect your home from geese, bird control experts have developed goose deterrents.

Geese are also not very hospitable when it comes to pools, uncovered spas, fountains or ponds. They’ll take a dump in or around them, contaminating these areas and leaving you with a time-consuming cleanup job.  Goose droppings can cause bacterial and algae problems. They carry diseases, including swimmer’s itch, histoplasmosis, toxoplasmosis and giardia. The parasite larvae crawl onto the skin and burrow under it, creating a red itchy rash.

As previously mentioned, to keep geese away from your home and property, you’ll need some serious geese deterrents. Banging pots, shooting BB guns and leaving poisons are ineffective and dangerous to pets and children. Fortunately, there are a number of goose deterrents currently available to homeowners that are both humane and effective.

One such deterrent is the Super Sonic Goose Deterrent. This advanced sound deterrent system plays recorded goose distress calls to deter geese from outdoor areas. The distress and alarm calls are recorded in their natural habitat and are played every ten minutes. Each system is sun- and weather-resistant (so you can use it outdoors) and features a built-in speaker that covers up to an acre of land. You can add more speakers to cover larger areas. An LCD panel on the front displays system status and shows your specific settings. For example, you can program the system to shut off automatically at night. And unlike other goose sound deterrents that play high-pitched ultrasonic noises, the Super Sonic is safe to use around animals and pets.
 

Related articles

• Protect Your Lawn and Garden - the Geese are Coming! (goosecontrol.blog.com)
• Goose Deterrents for Today's Homeowners (goosecontrol.blog.com)
• Geese Trampling Your Home Garden? (goose-control.co)

Geese Trampling Your Home Garden?

by Alex A. Kecskes

Geese love ponds and lakefront property. If your home has a pond or is near a body of water, you may be inundated with geese--unless you implement effective geese deterrents. Areas with mowed lawns are particularly attractive to these birds because they allow geese to see predators from afar. This gives them peace of mind to roam, trample and poop on your property. Of course, planted areas are equally vulnerable. Most geese will be looking for areas to rear her young.  A planted area offers protection for a goose, her mate and their young during incubation. It offers concealment from predators and is ideal for entire goose families to sleep, all while remaining sheltered and hidden.

There are at least 10 different species of geese, they weigh as much as 24 lbs and can be up to four feet long. Geese generally fall into two categories: Migrating geese and resident Canada geese. The latter can deposit up to a pound of droppings. They will invade your garden, squawking and trampling down flowers and plants like a heard of buffalo. They can also be fairly aggressive, chasing pets and small children. Like most bird droppings, Goose droppings can carry diseases—a real problem if you have a pool spa or fishpond.

What to do? You can’t have geese invading your property. Will bang cannons, BB guns, avicides and firecrackers do the trick? Hardly. These measures are way too dangerous or bothersome to be used in the presence of family, neighbors and pets. Luckily, there are a number of humane, rational and effective geese deterrents you can use.

For starters, there’s the Sonic Goose Deterrent. It plays actual distress and alarm calls of Canada Geese that have been recorded in their natural habitat. These calls are repeated every ten minutes. When geese hear these calls, their natural instinct is to leave your backyard post haste. The best sonic deterrents are weather resistant and can be programmed to turn off at night. They also include a built-in speaker that covers up to an acre of land. Unlike other goose sound deterrents that play high pitched ultrasonic noises, one popular goose control sonic system was developed by working with ornithologists at a major university and safe to use around animals and pets.

Another highly effective goose deterrent is the Scarecrow. This advanced motion activated device frightens geese away the minute they enter a motion sensor’s field of activation. Geese that experience the triple combo of water blast, startling sprinkler sound, and realistic looking bird-like moving head are loath to return.

Scarecrows will protect gardens, lawns, pools, spas and most any water feature. They connect easily to most garden hoses and offer over 1,200 square feet of protection that extends 35 feet out by 45-foot wide. Scarecrows are inexpensive to operate, providing as many as 1,000 "firings" on a single 9-volt battery. You can adjust their sensitivity and range to meet the specific needs of your garden, pool or spa.

The time to install and set up goose deterrents is now, before the geese arrive and settle in your home garden. So plan ahead, evaluate your garden, pools, spas and water features. Get the right goose deterrent for your needs and let someone else worry about geese invading their garden.

Three Ways to Give Geese the Boot!

by Terra Anders

Residential lakeside homes are sought after for their wonderful views, and temperate climates.  They also often have to deal with pest birds, like geese.  Homes that have large lawns with a clear line of vision from the grass to the shoreline may find geese settling there in increasing numbers.  Geese are grazers, so they like to waddle around snacking on grass and seeds in the lawn. Large groups of geese can be seen settled on lawns, sunning and preening themselves while keeping an eye out for predators. These habits make a large grassy area with a fast, visible escape route to the water, a sought after commodity for geese. As beautiful as they are to look at, these large birds soon wear out their welcome. They can quickly increase in numbers, fouling the grass, sand or boat docks with their droppings. 

The lovely Canada Goose is quite prolific, starting their reproductive life at about 2 years of age.  An average goose couple can produce about four offspring each year.  Since the geese live to be about ten or eleven years, that means that just one pair of geese and their offsprings alone can increase the gaggle to several hundred in just a few years!  If homeowners have not built in well-planned goose deterrents, the mess left by the geese families can depreciate the value of the property considerably.

Hunting geese as a means of controlling the population is frowned upon by many, it is actually a realistic means of controlling goose populations in some areas.  It is allowed in some states, but only under very controlled conditions.  Never shoot Canadian Geese on a property before first checking with the local Department of Fish and Wildlife authorities.  They can provide hunting limitations, removal guidelines and rules that should be followed without compromise.

Actually, some basic landscaping tips and a couple of easy goose control methods can be employed to keep the geese population in check and property cleaner, safer and more pleasant. Geese look for three main things when selecting their long-term residence: safety, food and adequate tall water grasses for nesting. Any kind of effective geese deterrent plan must address all three of these.

Goose-Resistant Landscaping: Making your shoreline less attractive to geese, but still a lovely view for humans isn’t as tough as it wounds. Eliminating the clear view line from grass to water is probably the most effective landscaping technique.  This can be done by setting up a physical barrier of some kind between water and grass. Wire mesh or polyurethane bird netting, even a white picket fence will work as long as the mesh or slat distance is no larger than 3 inches, and fences are at least 30 inches high.  Walking geese will not be happy with this.  If a more natural barrier is preferred, consider a very dense decorative hedge or long patch of wildflowers of no less than thirty inches high.  The barrier should be 20-30 feet wide and placed along the shoreline, then reaching back along each side of the lawn.  Any cattails or tall water grasses can remain on the opposite side of the barrier to help keep birds away from the lawn.

Motion Activated Sprinklers: What about those geese that fly in and land on the lawn?  Not to worry, the key is to make them as uncomfortable as possible so they won’t stay.  Sudden, unexpected water bursts into the large open lawn area can be a surprisingly useful geese deterrent.  Motion sensors detect when a bird is within 35 feet of the sensor, activating a water burst sprinkler system that shoots H20 up to 35 feet out and 45 feet across. Geese are unable to settle down and will take their friends and move along quickly.

Lawns that fail the goose taste test:  Geese that have already settled in will need more coaxing to leave.  Spreading non-toxic goose repellent over the lawn (or even along the shoreline) is another useful deterrent. As the geese snack, they eat the grape extract which irritates the nerves in the bird’s nasal passages and other mucous membranes. It is vexing to the geese and they will soon realize there are no more good eats there. The concentrated spray is mixed with water and dispersed using a standard hand-held sprayer.  Mow the law before treating it and re-treat about every four weeks to maintain.

Once their sense of safety has been removed by the landscaping; the nesting areas have been eliminated; and their feeding area is contaminated, the pest geese will leave in search of a more inviting home. Goose control can be environmentally friendly and still work to keep birds away from private property.

Effective Ways to Get Geese Off Your Property

by Terra Anders

Many landowners spend a good deal of time and energy on bird prevention or removal.
Geese, for example, are very social creatures and can commonly be found hanging out with their family and friends at docks, golf courses, park areas, wetlands, marshes, or residential lakeside homes. They are also prolific breeders, so even a small manageable group of geese can become a whole gaggle in a few short years. These birds are notoriously messy, leaving unsightly and unsanitary fecal droppings all over.  In addition to introducing possible parasites and disease, the feces can be difficult to remove and eats away at the protective coatings on vehicles, boats, decks and buildings.  This can result in a real problem for property owners and sends them seeking effective goose deterrents. 

If geese have already settled in to stay on your property, they can be motivated to leave by making the grazing area less palatable.  Large grassy areas can be sprayed with a non-toxic goose repellent that will disagree with the birds’ taste buds and send them looking for better tasting feeding grounds. Several other bird removal techniques are available that work to scare birds away from the property and encourage them to relocate elsewhere. Scare methods take advantage of the goose’s natural fear of predators or harm.  Creating the sense of danger in the environment frequented by the geese will send them packing to less frightening surroundings. 

Bright colors and the eyes of a predator may work to get rid of birds and geese in concentrated areas like pools, lakeside docks, or patios. One inexpensive solution might be placing large colorful PVC scare balloons with predator-like eye decals randomly around the affected area. Geese become confused and uncomfortable and leave looking for a less threatening location.

Lakeside properties and open areas may require more real-life goose deterrents.  Life-like plastic coyote decoys can be installed at the birds’ common entry points, convincing them to move along before they enter.  Moving these decoys from one entry point to another every few weeks will trick the geese into thinking this is a real threat and not a permanent fixture.
A motion-activated sprinkler device can be installed and programmed to release a spray of water when large birds like geese come near the property.  This is used in conjunction with a common garden hose and works quite well to keep geese away from the area before they even land. 

Some geese respond better to the sound of fellow geese in distress.  Weatherproof outdoor programmable goose sound systems are available that can be set to broadcast a specific goose call of danger. The call lasts for two minutes and repeats at set intervals, disturbing the birds and activating their natural instinct to flee.

Whether the geese are scouting for new territory, or have found a comfortable place to call home, any of these goose deterrent methods used alone or in combination, can offer property owners peace of mind and useful, safe and non-toxic bird control.

Goose Control Made Simple

by Alex A. Kecskes

A former chef at the Villa Victor in Syosset who claimed he was attacked by a goose sued the restaurant for $1 million. Richard Braue insisted that he was standing by a pond on the restaurant's property when he was charged by a Canada goose. In a fruitless attempt to stay clear of the attacking goose, Braue fell and broke his back.

In Jacksonville, Florida, a goose created somewhat of a ruckus outside an office building on Salisbury Road. Having built its nest near the perimeter of the building, the goose attacked passersby. Some say the bird is just protecting its nest. But police recently reported that the goose actually bit a woman's ear.

Residents in Gotwals Pond in Kimberton, Chester County, Pennsylvania reported that there were 500 to 600 Canada geese on the pond. In fact, Jeff Effgan, part owner of the Kimberton Country House restaurant--which is a stone's throw from the pond--said that one day there were so many geese on the pond, the water wasn't even visible. Needless to say, the pond smelled pretty ripe that day.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Services, the growing numbers of resident Canada geese pose a threat to public health and safety and cause damage to property, agriculture and natural resources.

Without effective goose control measures, geese will typically flock around lakes, reservoirs, large ponds, and near rivers and seashores. They like to feed on aquatic vegetation, grasses, seeds and grain. When adult geese molt their flight feathers in the summer, they can't fly and simply gather in huge annoying flocks, pecking and bumping into anyone who they regard as a threat to "their territory."

Even when not attacking people or knocking down children, geese will leave an awful mess. The smelly, disease-carrying droppings can contaminate ponds, lakes and other bodies of water. And they're not exactly welcome around golf courses and business parks.
Fortunately, there are a variety of goose deterrents available to commercial property owners. These are humane, since many species of geese are protected by federal and local statutes.

For large, open spaces, one popular goose deterrent is the Supersonic Goose Deterrent. This easy-to-use device plays recorded goose-distress calls every ten minutes to alert geese that danger is nearby. Geese hear these calls and their natural instinct makes them leave the area. The devices come with one internal and two external speakers to provide effective goose deterrents for up to three acres. Additional speakers can be added to cover larger areas. The rugged device is both sun and waterproof and can be programmed to turn on or off at night.

For smaller areas, you might try hanging a few Visual Goose Scare Deterrents. One popular deterrent in this category is the Predator Eye Balloon. About the size of a standard beach ball, it intimidates geese with its large predator eyes as it bobs and weaves in the breeze. Geese take one look at this "huge predator" and they become too nervous to hang around and loiter. The balloons are made of a U.V.- and weather-resistant vinyl.
To deter geese from pools and other bodies of water, Predator Eye Balloons can be partially filled with water and allowed to skim the surface with their predator eyes facing up to frighten geese. 

The time to implement these goose deterrents is now, before flocks of geese arrive. It's also a good idea use goose deterrents in tandem. And to move them around for best deterrent effect.

Related articles

• Protect Your Lawn and Garden - the Geese are Coming! (goosecontrol.blog.com)
• Humane, Effective Goose Control (goose-repellent.com)

Humane, Effective Goose Control

by Alex A. Kecskes

Never underestimate the need for effective goose control. A transportation conductor in Huntington, West Virginia filed suit in federal court after a goose in a rail yard attacked him. The man was working as a conductor at the Keyser Receiving Yard near Ravenswood and was performing a brake test on a CSX train. While performing a required inspection, a goose, which was previously known to have nested in the yard, suddenly jumped out from under one of the railcars, striking the man, and causing him to fall. The man filed suit for pain, past and future medical treatment, loss of earnings, impairment of future earnings, and loss of enjoyment of life. All told, the damages amounted to $75,000.

Geese Habitats

Geese are drawn to large inland bodies of water--like lakes, reservoirs, large ponds, and on seashores and rivers. Without effective goose control measures, these large birds will return in large numbers to the locale where were born. For the most part, geese are gregarious and when adults molt their flight feathers (for about 3 to 4 weeks in the summer), they are earth bound and can become quite bothersome. Geese have continued to multiply, particularly in urban areas, since these locales lack the traditional predators (like foxes and coyotes) that control their number.

Lacking goose control measures, huge flocks of geese often lay claim to an area, leaving disease-carrying droppings in their wake. These droppings contaminate the quality of ponds, lakes and other bodies of water, leaving an unsightly and unsanitary mess at parks, golf courses and business parks. In addition, Geese are voracious consumers of lawns and shrubbery, and they will destroy gardens and farm crops.

Geese are also a safety hazard in and around airports, since they continue to collide with aircraft, causing major damage to engines and props. In some cases, these collisions can be potentially lethal, as in the case of a US Airways Airbus after a flock of geese disabled both engines, forcing it to land in the Hudson River. Goose control measures are often required at many airports.

Federal and local statutes, so only non-lethal goose repellents can be used against them, protect many species of geese. Below are some of todays most effective and humane goose control devices.

Sonic Goose Repellers

Using sound to scare pest birds is not new. But these ingenious devices exploit a goose's natural fear of predators to do the job most effectively. Sonic Goose Repellers scare geese off with sounds of distress and predator calls. They are most effective when they are strategically positioned in gardens, backyards, patios, and other open spaces.

The Scarecrow

These clever goose control devices deliver a healthy blast of water when wandering geese approach their active radius of detection. The sudden blast of water, startling sprinkler sound and realistic looking bird-like moving head deliver a convincing message to pest geese. The scarecrow easily connects to a garden hose, yet uses just 2 to 3 cups of water per spray. It covers approximately 1,200 square feet with a stream that reaches out 35 feet and 45 feet wide. The scarecrow works day and night for up to 6 months (over 1,000 'firings") on a single 9-volt battery. For added versatility, you can fine-tune both the scarecrow's sensitivity and spray distance. Scarecrows are perfect for keeping geese out of gardens, ponds and other open areas.

Chemical Goose Repellents

A highly effective and affordable goose control measure, Chemical Spray Goose Repellents are ideal for use in parks, shorelines, golf courses, cemeteries, lawns, yards, landscaping, shrubs, or any grass areas where geese have become a problem. The non-toxic liquid makes grass unpalatable to geese so they just move on to tastier food sources. Formulated from a grape extract that irritate geese, the chemical is safe for pets, geese and humans.

The best geese spray repellents can be easily applied using most commercially available hand-held sprayers. The application procedure is straightforward. After mowing the lawn area to be treated, apply an initial application, then wait about a week, and repeat the process. Two applications last for up to three months. The chemical won’t wash off with rain or water. The repellent's effectiveness varies with the weather, repellent concentration, and frequency of application. The best goose repellent is registered with the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Goose Netting

To exclude geese from specific areas in airports, courtyards, canopies, and rooftops, there's Goose Netting. This goose control measure usually has a 2-inch mesh size. In choosing the best netting for your specific need, choose a name-brand product that is waterproof, rot- and flame-resistant, and U.V. stabilized. Non-conductive netting is preferred for most applications.

Heavy-duty netting made of high-strength polyethylene is ideal for large, high stress applications. Some manufacturers offer netting with a burst strength of up to 40 pounds. If you're concerned about appearance, today's bird proof netting can be ordered in several different colors--including white, stone and black to blend in with a structure's color design.

Geese Respond to Non-Lethal Control Methods

by Terra Anders

Pack up a picnic basket, gather up the kids, apply the bug spray, and don’t forget the bread to feed the geese.  Sound familiar?  Children all over the world love feeding the geese.  What picnic at the park would be complete without this childhood tradition?  But what happens when the geese population increases so dramatically that they become a health hazard?  City officials all over the United States are often burdened with goose control issues like this.

In Wisconsin, Mayor Paul Soglin has been under scrutiny for allowing city officials to kill about 350 Canadian geese at four city parks.  The approval was given by Madison Parks Division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture on June 25, 2011 after evidence of hazardous algae and bacteria had been found in some of the park lakes.  The problem had become so bad that a couple of the parks had to be shut down during the busy season.  Water supplies were compromised, and something had to be done to get a handle on the multiplying geese population. While several goose deterrent options for getting rid of the birds were presented, the choice to capture and kill a large quantity of the geese has certainly brought about a lot of controversy.

In a statement on June 28, 2011, Mayor Soglin confirmed that the about 200 Canada geese were indeed harvested and killed shortly after after the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued a permit to kill the birds at four city parks. Citizen groups had been trying to prevent the killing in lieu of a more humane goose control method.

According to a recent WISC-TV report, although the killings did take place and the parks’ populations of geese were temporarily thinned, the geese have already begun to repopulate. Not only is killing a controversial goose control method, it is rarely successful in the long-run.  Much more humane, non-lethal methods are available, and when put in place with forethought and intention, these kinder methods can be much more effective.

Canada geese like wide-open spaces. To help control bird populations, adding rocks, bushes, trees, hedges, or other types of barriers can modify the large open spaces of the park lawns. Plant these between the lawn and the water to discourage the geese.  They won’t like having to take the long way around to the water.

It may be futile to stop people from feeding geese in the park.  However, posting signs around the park, explaining the overpopulation problem and  how people can help by discouraging feeding the birds this practice would certainly be an inexpensive educational tool worth investing in.  Park staff might consider giving weekly informational classes to interested park-goers explaining the habits of the Canada geese and why they need to be controlled,

Spread non-toxic goose repellent on the area that is over-populated. This repellent is most often made with grape extract and methyl anthranilate, a combination that geese can not tolerate.  Geese hang around the park because there is always a sufficient food supply.  When this goose repellent is used, the geese will soon move on to other pastures looking for a more suitable food supply. 

Removing abandoned nests in the winter season can sometimes stop geese from coming back in the spring.

Geese prefer low, trimmed grass, so maintaining an area of tall grass or flowers around a lake area can create both a visual and physical barrier to the geese.

Geese populations respond quite well to sound goose deterrent systems that broadcast a recorded distress call in an area for up to 6 acres. The system is completely programmable and can send out one to two minute distress calls at determined intervals.   When geese hear this troubled cry, they become nervous and will leave the area in search of safer ground.  This type of goose deterrent is weather-resistant and very effective in large open outdoor spaces like parks.

Goose control is not a passive event.  It takes maintenance and persistence to convince birds to move out; and stay out.  Geese that have become comfortable in a particular area will return year after year.  Keeping an arsenal of bird control measures at the ready will be a park crew’s best plan. 

Related articles

• Three Ways to Give Geese the Boot! (goose-deterrent.com)
• Goose Deterrents for Today's Homeowners (goosecontrol.blog.com)
• Protect Your Lawn and Garden - the Geese are Coming! (goosecontrol.blog.com)