Goose Repellent helps keep Pesky Geese at Bay

Image via Wikipedia

Canada Geese are recognized by the “V” formation they create as they migrate in the spring and fall over North America. Up-close, they can be identified by their long black necks, a white “chin strap”, and brownish grey feathers.

Many people assume that Canada geese fly south in the fall to reach warmer climate, then return to nest in early spring. This behavior has changed over the years due to many variables, and Wildlife specialists are seeing more geese remain in one spot year round. Known as residential Geese, there are usually three common denominators that define their ideal location: a mild climate, food and water. Resident geese have been staking their claim on residential and commercial properties across the nation, leaving many property owners with one question, what can I do?

How to Keep Canada Geese Out of Public Areas

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 by Fran Prisco

Each year thousands of Golf Courses, Parks, Green Belts, Back Yards, Baseball Fields and even cemeteries are inundated with messy, slippery Canada Goose droppings.   Canada Geese can be found on any type of grassy area that surrounds water, from backyard ponds, to large lakes and rivers.  They breed throughout North America. Spring migration usually starts in late winter and will take several weeks to complete.  The fall migration will begin when the water and soil begins to freeze.  Geese feed mainly on land grazing on grassy plants and our lawns.  In the spring and summer they can feed for up to 12 hours a day.  This extended feeding leads to a lot of waste; a goose produces up to a pound of droppings a day.  Multiply that by hundreds of geese and you have a big problem with goose droppings.  This can lead to public health concerns in parks, golf courses, and other public areas.

So how do we keep these pest geese off of our property?  The most effective method of goose control is to eliminate their food source.  Since we cannot tear out the lawn and shrubs, what do we do?  You make them unpalatable to the geese.  There are products on the market that use a grape derivative methyl anthranilate to flavor lawns and shrubs so that the geese do not want to eat them.  It is easily sprayed on and will grow into the plants making them unpalatable to the geese.  Once the food source is gone the geese move on to an area that will provide a more palatable food.  The goose repellent is safe to use on private and public areas.  It is a food grade substance so it will not harm other animals or people. 

Goose Repellents Worth a Gander

by Alex A. Kecskes

Often found on large inland bodies of water--like lakes, reservoirs, large ponds, and on seashores and rivers--Canada geese are grazers and feed in shallow water, pastures and arable land. Without goose repellents, these birds are most likely to return to the area they were born, which is why many different breeds have evolved in North America. Canada geese are gregarious and fly together in a V-shaped or diagonal line formations. The adults molt their flight feathers and become flightless for about 3 to 4 weeks in the summer. Canada geese have proliferated and they continue to increase in number, especially in urban areas. One reason for this is that traditional predators (like foxes and coyotes) are rarely present in most urban areas.

In the absence of effective goose repellents, large flocks of geese will gather and nest, leaving huge amounts of poop, especially if the geese routinely inhabit the same sites. Their droppings will reduce the water quality of ponds and create unsightly and unsanitary conditions on parks, golf courses, apartment complexes, and business parks. Geese can also damage lawns and shrubbery, as well as gardens and farm crops. Flying near or around airports, geese can create a safety hazard by colliding and being ingested by jet engines or struck by propellers. Consider the alarming accident that befell a US Airways Airbus after a flock of geese disabled both engines, forcing it to land in the Hudson River.