Canadian geese have been a growing problem in the turf industry for years as they invade golf courses, parks and green spaces. Their population has grown to astounding levels in Ontario and we now even have some that stay all winter. So, the question that we get time and time again is, how do we manage these birds? And, how do we prevent the mess they create?
I wish I had a silver bullet but the short answer is there will not be one simple thing to solve this problem but rather a multi-pronged approach. After all, part of the reason these animals are thriving is that they are so adaptable. Just like many other pest animals we have, geese have figured out how to use the infrastructures we have created to make themselves at home. Everything from settling ponds to drainage ditches, to gardens, in parking lots, to golf course ponds, have all become goose habitat. As a result, humans and their activities, including machinery and cars, have become the norm and as such are no longer a deterrent.
Geese may look nice from afar, but in reality, they are aggressive! Especially when they have young around (which seems like all the time) and while defending their nests. This creates a real danger for customers and staff who happen to be in the area, not to mention negative experiences.
Additionally, the waste that geese produce, up to 1.5 pounds a day, is a hazard to all that come in contact with it. The waste is not only unattractive and slippery but, like all waste from warm blooded animals, it also contains dangerous e-coli and coliform.
Many beach closures due to high coliform counts in the summer are linked to large geese populations and their waste, along with limited water exchange. This waste is not only dangerous in water but staff can come into contact with it while repairing or cleaning equipment. Contact with e-coli and coliform can cause serious illness to staff and customers and should be avoided.
So that brings us to how to manage geese and the problems they create.
Unfortunately, there is no single solution that works for every situation all the time. That means finding the right combination of deterrents for your property, and to meet your goals, can be challenging. This article is designed to help you find the right products so you are not left with poor results and figuring things out on your own dime.
Let’s look at the different categories of deterrents to help us think about these products in a more manageable way. There are four main types of deterrents that all work differently but can be used in conjunction with each other. They are: decoys, visual deterrents, barriers and scent/taste deterrents.
Decoys: Decoys mimic natural predators or competitors to encourage pests to leave a specific area. The main decoys that are used for deterring geese are replicas of natural predators such as alligators, coyotes and eagles. It is important that these decoys are used in a way that makes them as realistic as possible.
For example, our customers have the most success with our 3D Coyote Decoy when it is moved regularly (every one to two days), removed occasionally for a day or two, and combined with coyote urine that can be purchased at most hunting stores. This helps the decoy to appear to be moving, as a live animal would, and it is reinforced by using a realistic scent. Alternatively, our Gator Guard floating alligator head can be setup on a loose line so that it can blow around on its own. Although an alligator in your pond may not seem realistic to you, geese in Canada are still hardwired to recognize these predators as a threat and these decoys have proven to be very effective.
Keep in mind that these only work if the decoy is a natural predator, one that the goose instinctively views as a threat. For example, I often hear stories of people that have used owl decoys and are disappointed when they do not deter the geese. This actually makes perfect sense since an owl would not normally hunt geese in the wild. On the other hand, we carry a Bald Eagle predator kite. Bald Eagles do hunt young and adult geese in the wild and will be recognized as a threat. Because these predator kites move naturally, by floating up, swooping down and moving side to side in even light winds, they produce an image that is realistic enough that geese do not stick around to double check its validity.
Having said that, it is important to note that decoys are most effective before the geese have nested, or after the eggs have hatched. When a pair of geese have committed to a nesting site there is little they won’t do to defend it, including risking their own lives. As such, decoys should not be in place during nesting as they will be challenged by the adult geese and lose, and that means they are no longer a threat, or effective.
There are actually few, if any, deterrents that will work once a pair has laid eggs so it is important to either deter them from setting up in the first place, or convince them once their young have hatched that it is an unsafe area to stay in. Using even the most effective deterrent at the wrong time will greatly reduce its chances of working again with that set of geese, so make sure your timing is right.
Visual Deterrent: These can include, Irri-Tape (that holographic sparkly tape), pinwheels, tin plates, flashing lights or streamers. These are all designed to create movement and create flashes of light that mimic fire. The idea behind them is that they are moving, unfamiliar and an irritant. Geese find these objects threatening, mostly because they don’t understand them so they are on high alert. If they have to be on high alert all of the time it is easier to move to an area where these things are not present.
These can be extremely effective when used early in the season before nesting sites are chosen or during the grazing phase. They can also be used in combination with other deterrents to push geese over their threshold of problems on a site. We would recommend either occasionally changing which visual deterrent you are using or moving them around periodically so that geese do not become accustomed to them.
Barrier Deterrent: These are exactly as they sound. They create a barrier between the turf area and the water. These can consist of a wide variety of items from fishing line strung up on stakes, long grass or shrubbery that would be cover for predators, or even a fence.
For geese, especially ones with goslings that cannot fly yet, being able to move quickly and safely from the grass to the water is a safety must. This is because goslings, which are awkward and slow on land, have a real agility advantage over most of their predators in the water – alligators being the only real exception. Adult geese know that their young will often enter the water hours after hatching and are careful to choose nesting sites that have easy access to water. This means that barriers put up in the fall can be excellent deterrents when geese are choosing nesting sites in the early spring.
Scent/Taste Deterrent: The last main category affects the scent/taste for the pest. These deterrents are newer to the market and can be very effective when properly used. They include things like the coyote urine, mentioned earlier, and products like Bird STOP. Bird STOP is a liquid that is applied to grazing areas to make the grass taste bad to the geese. The big advantage to this type of deterrent is that it is not visible to humans so it does not hamper normal use. The main disadvantage to this type of product is that it needs to be reapplied regularly (every 5-10 days).
Generally, deterrents that affect the quality of grazing will have to be applied two to three times before the geese will move on to better grazing areas. These products are most effective when applied during the grazing phase or early in the spring before nesting. An advantage to this product is that it can be applied to a specific area, or areas, that you want to keep geese away from. This can allow you to manage where the geese are on the property without getting rid of them entirely.
With many large recreational areas that have water you will find that preventing geese altogether is unlikely, but with a variety of techniques you should be able to manage which areas the geese inhabit. And remember, start these deterrents early to prevent the geese from nesting there to begin with, because this year’s goslings are next year’s nesting adults.
We at Fish Farm Supply Co. have tested most of the geese deterrents we sell and would be happy to offer advice or help you find the product, or products, that will work with your property to help you manage your problem.
Julia Webber, B.Sc. Marine and Freshwater Biology
President Fish Farm Supply Co.
Elmire, ON.
877-669-1096
