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.