Humane geese control starts with understanding Canada geese.

Get rid of birds, canada geese

Canada Geese are Wild Animals

Canada geese were almost eradicated by hunting, egg gathering and the draining of wetlands in the early 1900s. However, since the 1960s they have made a huge comeback. Their preference for short, highly fertilized grass and ponds of golf courses and parks attract geese to these environments. Once they arrive on these pampered lawns, their numbers will quickly swell to a huge problem.

Canada geese are creatures whose lives are dominated by learned traditions and instinctive annual patterns of behavior. In migratory populations, goslings learn their migration and stopping points by flying the route with their parents. This means that the odds are great that the same geese will return year after year to your property. It is instinct to go back to where they hatched; nested; brooded young, or where they have successfully molted their feathers in past years. Such geese become more difficult to remove and keep away because you must break them of old traditions and help them establish new ones.

What is the number one nuisance of geese? Unfortunately, with geese come geese droppings. One goose produces 1-2 pounds of droppings a day. These droppings can be a health risk and can carry Salmonella spp,. E. coli, and Listeria spp. And large groups of geese can alter the ecology of your pond and create algae problems.

The difference between resident geese and migratory geese is that resident geese have chosen to live here year-round. The migratory geese pass through central North America during the fall and spring. Resident geese are not fazed by humans and can be aggressive. During nesting season a belligerent goose can easily knock down a small child. Find out more information on resident geese from our blog.

Migratory Bird Treaty Act states that it is illegal to hunt, kill, sell, purchase, or possess migratory birds or their parts (feathers, nests, eggs, etc.) except as permitted by regulations adopted by the Secretary of the Interior, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Ohio Geese Control’s staffs are experts in goose behavior and the regulations around their management programs. Our staff is specialized in migratory birds and dog handling skills, because you can’t understand how to manage a population, until you truly know their behaviors. Interested in a free site visit and demonstration? Contact us at 1-877-91GEESE.

The Nuisance of Canada Geese

The Nuisance of Canada Geese

The biggest nuisance of Canada Geese can be scraped off, but it’s a dirty job.

Conflicts between Canada geese and humans in the urban environment have increased as goose populations have grown

Geese are deemed a nuisance because of their droppings, aggressive behavior, and noise.

The most common complaint about geese is the accumulation of droppings and feathers. Each Canada goose can produce 1-2 pounds of droppings each day. This adds up to quite a mess when you have 50 or more geese on site and can be very labor intensive to manage the cleanliness of your location.

With droppings come pollutants

These droppings can be a health risk and can carry Salmonella spp, E. coli, and Listeria spp. Heavy concentrations of goose droppings can also contain nitrogen which can pollute ponds and lakes, leading to excessive algae growth and reduced water quality.

Aggressively Natured

Another main complaint about geese is their aggressive nature. Geese become very protective around their nests or goslings and may attack pets, children and adults. They will continue their aggression until they feel their territory is safe from predators or conflict. This is not only a safety issue, but a liability issue for your property. There are many documented cases of injury and even deaths occurring because of the aggression of Canada geese.

Geese only bring more geese

It is true, that Canada geese will act as decoys for migratory geese, causing increases in your goose populations. One and two geese are welcomed but this can quickly swell into a huge problem.


Let us help you manage your Canada geese problems. Our process begins with a site visit, depending on this assessment we will establish a service custom to our clients’ needs. We will give recommendations for combining and applying several dispersal methods. Constantly harassing the geese, we eventually force the geese to disperse. Call us at 877-91GEESE to set up your appointment.

 

Canada geese are creatures of habit.

Geese Behavior

They will come back to their place of birth year after year. Considering that each goose can lay an average of 6 to 8 eggs while having a lifespan of 20 years, that can add up to a lot of geese. To assist you in controlling your Canada geese problem, it is best to understand their behaviors.

Breeding Behavior

Canada Geese Goslings
Canada geese and goslings

Canada geese usually begin nesting at three years of age, although a few individuals nest when they are two years old. They are monogamous and pairs usually stay together for life. You will see resident geese in Northern Ohio beginning to pair up and scout out their nesting location in February. It is best to start your Canada geese control program as soon as you see the first pair of geese back on your property to be most effective.

Molting

Get rid of geese in your pond

Adult Canada geese undergo a complete replacement of flight feathers each summer, which takes about a month for most individuals. Molting geese select areas near water that have good grazing and unobstructed views so as to see potential predators. Manicured lawns, parks, and golf courses suit their habitat requirements. The Division of Wildlife does not recommend aggressive harassing of Canada geese at this time, as the geese cannot fly away. Ohio Geese Control will not employ the use of Border collies during this time period, but we will put together a program to assist you during this period.

Nesting

how to get rid of canada geese nests safely and legally

Canada geese usually nest within 150 feet of water, and most nests are surrounded by or are very close to water. Water provides access to food, a place to drink, aids in preening and bathing, and is an avenue of escape from predators. A typical Canada goose nest is bowl-shaped, and made from the surrounding vegetation lined with goose down plucked from the female’s breast. When patrolling an area, nests may be hard to detect initially, as they don’t start building up the area until the first egg has dropped. Our staff is expert in identifying nests at early stages to enhance your management program.

Nesting in Ohio typically starts in March, it is imperative to start a harassment program as soon as you see the first pair of geese on your property. Migrating geese tend to begin to come back to the area and pair up at the end of February through March. Resident geese will pair up even earlier, especially if the winter is a warmer than normal.

Canada geese become very aggressive during the nesting season and for the first 10 weeks of their goslings lives. This has caused many injuries and even deaths to bystanders that unknowingly cross their paths.

Regulations

Canada geese are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 (16 USC 703-711). This act made it illegal to harvest waterfowl or other migratory birds except during the hunting season or by permit. It prevents the unrestricted egg harvesting and commercial hunting for meat and feathers that was commonplace in the United States in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. This treaty gave the U.S. and Canadian governments (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Canadian Wildlife Service, respectively) the authority to set limits, make regulations, and issue permits to harvest or take waterfowl. In addition to federal permits, most states require permits anytime one intends to destroy eggs or nests, capture, relocate, disturb, or harvest Canada geese.

We work within the guidelines of the following organizations:

The Humane Society of the United States     Ohio Department of Natural Resources    PETA People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals

Ohio Geese Control works closely with the Division of Wildlife and we are on their list of preferred vendors for Canada geese control programs. All permits must originate from our clients, once the permits obtained, Ohio Geese Control can manage the eggs, record the information and then deliver the correct information to the Division of Wildlife.

Links to additional information:

 

Let us help you manage your Canada geese problems. Our process begins with a site visit, depending on this assessment we will establish a service custom to our clients’ needs. We will give recommendations for combining and applying several dispersal methods. Constantly harassing the geese, we eventually force the geese to disperse. Call us at 877-91GEESE to set up your appointment.

 

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