The most common Goose found in the U.S. is the Canada goose.
Many people assume the 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?
What’s Attracting Geese to your Property?
America is covered with wetland areas that provide the vegetation and climate these Geese need to thrive. Geese are grazers, and lawns near water provide an excellent food source. Golf Courses, gardens, beaches, residential lawns, and parks are regularly becoming swamped with Geese. Studies have shown that a healthy full grown goose can produce up to 1.5 lbs of feces every day.
Habitat: They are found on large inland bodies of water such as lakes, reservoirs and large ponds; as well as on seashores and rivers. Canada Geese are grazers so they are often found on grassland.Food Source: Seeds, grasses and aquatic plants make up the main portion of their diet. Taking an Integrated Approach:
Many national wildlife organizations suggest taking an “integrated” approach when trying to deter geese from a property. Trying to resolve the goose problem from a few different angles is usually the most successful. Identifying the aspects of your property that are attracting the geese and then removing or changing the attractions is an ideal way of handling the situation. In the end altering the geese’s behavior will be more effective than lethal or harmful means. If the habitat isn’t modified, geese will still be attracted to the area. Areas to consider:
- Discourage Feeding
- Habitat Modification
- Scare Tactics
- Humane Removal
Method to deter pest geese from your property:
Goose Repellent: a liquid goose repellent can be sprayed on the lawn or food source of the geese. After several applications the geese will not like the taste and will move on to another area to graze. The drawback to goose repellents is that once gooslings have arrived it is very difficult to get rid of geese.
Goose Deterrent Sonic: plays predator and distress calls to scare the geese from the area. Sonic goose deterrents are best used in conjunction with the liqued goose repellent.
Goose Scare Deterrents: are devices that scare the geese using large reflective eyes that geese will try to avoid.
The thing to remember is that it is best to apply goose repellents or install goose deterrents before the geese have become a problem.